DA 



OUTLINES 



ENGLISH HISTORY: 



FROM THE 



gomait dlonqw^st to llie f resmt iime. 



OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROGRESS OF ART, SCIENCE, AND 

CIVILIZATION, AND QUESTIONS ADAPTED TO 

EACH PARAGRAPH. 



FOR THE USE OF SCHOOLS. 



AMELL\ B. EDWARDS. 



AMERICAN EDITION, REVISED AND CORRECTED. 







BOSTON: 
HICKLING, SWAN, AND BREWER. 

1857. 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by 

HicKLiNG, Swan, and Brewer, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 



Da 



"3-..A 



ELECTEOTYPED AT THE 
BOSTON STEREOTTPE FOUNDRt. 



fc*^'^ 



lU^ 



PREFACE 

TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. -^.n 



A KNOWLEDGE of the history of our own country- 
is of the highest importance to American youth; 
because a knowledge of its institutions and of the 
struggles for their introduction and maintenance is 
necessary to teach the true character of our free 
institutions, the principles upon which oui' government 
*s based, and according to which it should be carried 
on. The history of the United States, as the record 
f the first civil government that has ever been founded 
upon the basis of freedom, furnishes lessons upon 
popular governments, and upon religious, social, and 
political freedom, of far greater value than can be 
derived from the record of any other nation, past or 
present. 

Only second in importance, and hardly inferior in 
point of interest to our own history, is a knowledge of 
the origin and institutions of that nation and people 

(3) 



4 PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. 

from whom we are proud to derive our own. Our 
language, our popular institutions, our notions of free- 
dom, of constitutional government, are all derived from 
our English ancestors. Our own framework of popu- 
lar government is but a new edition, revised and im- 
proved, of that of England, with this difference : theirs 
has required the gradual development of centuries, 
while our own has sprung at once, with only a brief 
colonial infancy, into the full vigor of maturity. Be- 
sides, the interest which attaches to the history of 
English institutions, is, to some extent, the history 
of the origin of our own ; the events of the past two 
centuries connected with both countries have been to 
such a degree interwoven with each other, that a 
knowledge of the one is indispensable to a proper 
acquaintance with the other. The gradual develop- 
ment of the Anglo-Saxon race, manners and customs, 
and the popular character which has grown up with 
them, marking with unmistakable peculiarities each 
of the various offshoots from the parent stem, and no 
less surely than their common English language, pre- 
sent a study of importance and interest to American 
youth hardly exceeded even by that of his kindred in 
the Fatherland of Old England. A knowledge of the 
history of both is indispensable to a full acquauitance 
with that of either. 

In republishing the very excellent summary of 



PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION. 5 

English history recently published in Great Britain 
by Miss Edwards, very many important changes and 
improvements have been made, in order to render it 
adapted for study to the youth of our own country. 
All those points and events in which the histories of 
the two countries are closely connected have been 
materially enlarged, and in many cases first introduced 
in the American edition. Without these the work 
would be radically deficient as a text book for Amer- 
ican schools. Without claiming for it any higher 
merits than those of a concise and faithful hand- 
book of English history, the American publishers 
present this volume to the consideration of all in- 
terested in the education of youth, believing that it 
will be found to supply a great want, and one that has 
been long and sensibly felt. 
1* 



CONTENTS. 



Chap. Page 

I. — England before the Conquest 9 

" England under the Romans, from b. c. 55 

TO A. D. 449 10 

" England, under the Saxons, a. d. 449 to 

A. D. 827 12 

« England under the Anglo-Saxons, a. d. 827 

to 1013 . 15 

" England under the Danes, a.d.1013 to 1041. 21 
" England under the Saxons, a. d. 1041 to 

1066 22 

II. — The Norman Monarchs 25 

m. — The House of Plantagenet 31 

rv. — The Houses of Lancaster and York. . . 39 

V. — The House of Tudor 46 

VI. — The House of Stuart. 59 

VII. — The House of Stuart, (continued.) ... 68 

Vni. — United Houses of Stuart and Nassau, . . 74 

IX. — The House of Brunswick 77 

X. — The House of Brunswick, (continued.) . . 93 

(7) 



OUTLINES 



ENGLISH HISTORY 



CHAPTER I. 

ENGLAND BEFORE THE CONQUEST. 

I. In the ancient times, nearly two thousand years ago, 
before our Saviour was born on earth, and when Rome was a 
repubhc, England was a desolate waste of land, covered with 
swamps and forests. It was inhabited by a savage people, 
who dressed in the rough skins of beasts, and stained their 
bodies with colored earths and the juices of plants. They lived 
in huts rudely constructed of wicker and mud, which were 
erected in Httle clusters here and there over the country. 
These clusters were called towns, and they were generally 
situated upon small clearings in tracts of woody land, and were 
surrounded by a trench, and a low wall made of mud and 
the trunks of trees, which serv^ed for defence in time of war. 

n. These barbarians went by the name of Britons. They 
were divided into as many as thirty or forty tribes, each com- 
manded by its own king : and these tribes were constantly at 
war with each other. They made swords of copper mixed 
with tin, and light shields, short, pointed daggers, and spears, 

(9) 



10 OUTLINES OF 

with which weapons they always fought. They were very 
fond of horses, of which they made great use in battle, with 
their war chariots and cars, for which they have ever been 
celebrated in history. 

III. The Britons had a strange and terrible religion, called 
the Religion of the Druids. Most of its ceremonies were 
kept secret by the priests, who were called Druids ; but it is 
certain that they sacrificed human beings, even burning them 
alive, in immense wicker cages. They met together in dark 
woods, which they called sacred groves, and there instructed 
in their mysterious arts young men who came to them as pu- 
pils. They built great temples and altars of huge stones, 
open to the sky, some of which are yet remaining. 

UNDER THE ROMANS FROM B. C. 55 TO A. D. 449. 

IV. Such was the condition of the ancient Britons fifty- 
five years before the birth of om- Saviour, when the Romans, 
under their great general, Julius Caesar, were masters of all 
the rest of the known world. Csesar had then just conquered 
Gaul, and tempted by the rich pearls and tin mines, for which 
the island was famous, he came over with his ships and sol- 
diers, and made the first conquest of Britain. He soon, how- 
ever, accepted proposals of peace, and went away ; but the 
next spring he returned with a large army from Italy, and 
laid waste the country in every direction. He again made 
peace, and went away, with all his remaining ships and 
men. 

V. There was then peace in Britain for nearly a hundred 
years, when the Emperor Claudius came and conquered it 
over again, (A. D. 43.) It was during the reign of this em- 
peror that Caractacus, a patriot Briton, made the first at- 
tempt to free his country fi-om the Roman yoke. After a 
conflict of nine years, he was taken prisoner and carried to 
Rome; but his noble manner, and dignified endurance of 
distress, so touched the Roman people, who thronged the 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 11 

streets to see hira, that he was released and restored to 
freedom. 

VI. Still the Britons would not yield. They rose on every 
possible occasion, and died by thousands sword in hand. In 
the reign of Nero, (A. D. 61,) Suetonius Paulinus landed on 
the Island of Anglesea, (then called Mona,) and destroyed 
the sacred groves and altars of the Druids, and burned them 
in their own wicker cages. This, together with the cruel 
treatment offered to Boadicea, queen of the Iceni, once more 
roused the Britons to rebellion. They laid the Roman pos- 
sessions waste ; they drove the Romans out of London, then 
a little town but a trading place, and hanged, burned, cruci- 
fied, and slew* by the sword seventy thousand of them in a 
few days ; but in the course of the same year the Britons were 
again defeated with immense loss. 

VII. Still the spirit of the Britons was not broken. As 
soon as Suetonius left the country, they fell upon his troops, 
and retook the Island of Anglesea. Some years afterwards, 
(A. D. 78,) Julius Agricola took possession of the country, 
established the Roman power in Britain, founded the arts of 
peace, and made the people happy and civilized. He also de- 
livered them from the fierce incursions of the Picts and Scots, 
and helped them to erect a great walP of separation across 
the island between the Tyne and Solway. This rampart, 
however, proved ineff^ectual against the savage inroads of the 
northern tribes, and a second was constructed by Hadrian, 
between the Friths of Clyde and Forth, (A. D. 138.) The 
Emperor Severus, however, in leading an army against the 
northern barbarians, (A. D. 207,) found these earthen walls, 
affected by the rains and frosts of nearly a centmy, in a state 

1 The Wall of Agricola was in reality a long bank of earth, with a ditch, 
on the borders of which he built, at unequal distances, a range of forts and 
castles. This work very nearly extended from sea to sea, being about 
seventy-four miles long, beginning three miles and a half east of Newcastle, 
and ending twelve miles west of Carlisle. This wall is known in history 
as the Wall of Hadrian, because Hadrian, a few years afterwards, (A. D. 
121.) repaired it, and added works of his own to strengthen it. 



12 OUTLINES OF 

of decay, and resolved to erect one of stone/ which is known 
in history as the Wall of Severus. 

VIII. The Romans remained masters of Britain for 
nearly four centmies ; but in the reign of Honorius, when 
the Roman power all over the world was fast declining, 
and when Rome wanted all her soldiers at home, they were 
compelled to withdraw their forces to defend themselves 
against the Goths, A. D. 410. In the course of this time, 
however, the Romans had done much to improve the condi- 
tion of the Britons. They had made great military roads, 
built forts, taught them how to dress and arm themselves 
much better than they had ever known how to do before, 
and had refined the whole British way of living. But above 
all, they had introduced the Christian religion,^ and taught the 
people the great lesson, that, to be good in the sight of God, 
they must love their neighbors as themselves, and do unto 
others as they would be done by, 

UNDER THE SAXONS, A. D. 449 TO A. D. 827. 

IX. No sooner had the Romans left Britain than the 

1 The Wall of Severus was about eight feet thick and twelve feet high to 
the base of the battlements. To the wall were added, at unequal distances, 
a number of stations or towns, eighty-one castles, and three hundred and 
thirty turrets. At the outside of the wall, to the north, was dug a ditch 
about thirty-six feet wide and twelve to fifteen feet deep. Severus's works 
run nearly parallel with the other two, the greatest distance between them 
being less than a mile, and the least about twenty yards. As long as the 
Roman power lasted, this barrier was constantly garrisoned by armed men. 
The stations were so near to each other that, if a fire Avas lighted on any 
one of the bulwarks, it was seen at the next, and so repeated from bul- 
wark to bulwark, all along the line, in a very short time. 

2 The commencement of the religious history of Britain is involved in 
much obscurity. That the Christian religion was introduced early will be 
seen by Tertullian. who, in his work against the Jews, written A D. 209, 
says that '■ even those places in Britain hitherto inaccessible to the Eoman 
arms have been subdued by the gospel of Christ." Some writers maintain 
that St. Paul visited Britain, and they ground their assumption upon the 
fact that several of the most active years of his life are not accounted for 
in the Acts of the Apostles ; and they think, therefore, that some part of 
this interval must have been employed among the Britons. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 13 

marauding Scots poured in upon the defenceless Britons, 
who, not knowing what better to do, in then- distress applied 
for assistance to the Saxons, a people of North Germany. 
The Saxoi?s accordingly came across the Channel, between six 
and seven thousand of them, under the command of two 
brothers, named Hengist and Horsa, (A. D. 449.) They 
speedily routed the Scots, but rewarded themselves for their 
trouble by taking possession of the country. They were fol- 
lowed by other German tribes ; the Saxon tongue became 
the national language ; and the native Britons fled to Wales, 
Cornwall, and the coast of France. 

X. After the death of Hengist, (A. D. 488,) the Saxons 
poured in upon Kritain faster than ever, and it was in oppos- 
ing these tribes that the famous Arthur, king of Britain, won 
his great renown.^ He succeeded in securing to his people 
forty years of peace ; but valor alone was of no avail. The 
natives, in time, were all overpowered or expelled, and the 
land was divided into seven small kingdoms, each governed 
by a Saxon t\Tant, This period is known as the period of 
the Saxon Heptarchy. The folloTving was the order of dis- 
tiibution : — 

XI. The kingdom of Cantia, or Kent, comprised the fer- 
tile county of Kent, and was founded by Hengist, (A. D. 457.) 

The kingdom of South Saxony comprised the counties of 
Sussex and Sm-rey, and was founded by Ella, (A. D. 490.) 

The Idngdom of "West Saxony, or Wessex, comprised the 
counties of Hampshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Dorsetshire^ 
Somersetshire, and Devonshire, and was founded by Cerdic, 
(A. D..519.) 

The kingdom of East Saxony comprised the counties of 
Essex, Middlesex, and a part of Hertfordshh-e, and was 
founded by Ercemvin, (A. D. 527.) 

The kingdom of Northumbria comprised the counties of 

' The history of this renowned prince is regarded by many as a fiction ; 
but Lord Bacon says of him that " in his acts there is enough of truth to 
make him famous, besides that ^hich is fabulous." He is said to have de- 
feated the Saxons in twelve different engagements. 

2 



14 OUTLINES OF 

Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland, Durham, York- 
shire, Lancaster, and a portion of Scotland. It was founded 
by Ida, (A. D. 547.) 

The kingdom of East Anglia comprised the counties of 
Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridge, and was founded by Uffa, 
(A. D. 575.) 

The kingdom of Mercia comprised all the midland coun- 
ties, namely : Cheshire, Stafford, Derby, Warwick, Worces- 
ter, Shropshire, Hereford, Gloucester, Oxford, Buckingham, 
Bedford, Huntingdon, Northampton, Rutland, Leicester, Not- 
tingham, Lincohi, and a part of Hertfordshire. It was 
founded by Cridda, (A. D. 582.) 

XII. As it may readily be supposed, these seven kings of 
Britain did not at all times reign in perfect friendship with 
each other, but, on the contrary, distracted the country with 
perpetual quarrellings and warfare. Despite even these draw- 
backs, the nation, however, began to experience the blessings 
of industry. Property received the protection of law, and no 
part of the island was without an acknowledged ruler. Most of 
the people were still idolaters and heathens, worshipping the 
false gods of ancient Rome. In the year 596, a good monk, 
named Augustin, came over from Italy with forty of his 
brethren, and converted the two powerful kings of Kent and 
Northumberland, (A. D. 599.) A great church was then 
built at Canterbury, (A. D. 604 ;) Sebert, king of Essex, be- 
came a proselytp ; the Temple of Apollo at Westminster was 
pulled down, and a church dedicated to St. Peter was erect- 
ed where the Abbey is now standing : the Temple of Di- 
ana was destroyed, and the original cathedral of St. Paul 
raised on its site; and the University of Cambridge was 
founded, (A. D. 644.) Soon after this the whole of Britain 
embraced Christianity, and the seven kingdoms were united 
into one by the conquests of Egbert of Wessex, recei^dng 
the collective name of England, which it has ever since re- 
tained. Winchester was at this time considered to be the 
capital of the country. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 15 

UNDER THE ANGLO-SAXONS. A. D. 827 TO 1013. 
Egbert. 

began to reign a. d. 827, died 836. 
XIII. Scarcely had j^eace and uiiity been established in 
the kingdom, when a horde of savage warriors, called Danes,^ 
who dwelt u))on the shores of the Baltic Sea, landed on the 
coasts, but were routed on the coast of Devon, and forced to 
fly back to theh ships for safety, only to return again about 
once in every year. After a prosperous reign, troubled only 
by these invaders, Egbert died, (A. D. 8;i6,) and was buiied 
at Winchester. 

Ethelwolf. 

BEGAN TO REIGN A. D. 836. DIED 857. 

XrV. Egbert was succeeded by Ethelwolf, liis eldest son. 
The Danes now made themselves the terror of England, and 
though frequently repulsed, continued to plunder the coun- 
try, and occasionally to carry off the inhabitants for slaves. In 
the year 851 they sailed up the Thames wdtli three hundred 
and fifty ships, and burned the cities of London, Rochester, 
and Canterbm-y. At length the people were roused to action, 
and the Danes were defeated, and induced for a while to sus- 
pend their attacks. The lung then undertook a pilgrimage 
to Home, (A. D. 853,) where he was honorably received, and 
tarried nearly a year. On his return thi'ough France, forgetting 
that he was an old man, he married Judith, the feh and youth- 
ful daughter of Jilng Charles the Bald, and caused her to be 
crowned as queen. He first granted tithes to the clerg>', and 
instituted an annual tribute to the pope, called Peter's Pence. 
Ethelwolf died A. D. 857, and was buried at Steyning, in 
Sussex. 

Ethelbald. 

BEGAN TO REIGN A. D. 857. DIED 860. 

XV. Ethelwolf left four sons, Ethelbald, Ethelbert, Ethel- 

The people of Denmark and Norway. 



16 OUTLINES OF 

red, and Alfred. He was succeeded by Ethelbald, whose 
reign was brief, unimportant, and vicious. 

Ethelbert. 
began to reign a. d. 860. died 866. 

XVI. Ethelbald was succeeded by his brother Ethelbert, 
who reigned only six years, during which time the Danes ex- 
acted tribute from the English, laid waste the whole county 
of Kent, and pillaged the city of Winchester, and estabhshed 
themselves permanently on the Isle of Thanet. Ethelbert 
died A. D. 866. 

Ethelred. 

began to reign a. d. 866. died 872. 

XVII. Ethelbert was followed by Ethelred, a brave sol- 
dier, whose reign was one long scene of valiant warfare with 
the Danes. It is said that in one year he fought no less than 
nine pitched battles with the enemies of his country. In all 
these he was assisted by his young brother, Prince Alfred, after- 
wards illustrious as King Alfred the Great. Prince Alfred 
was the first earl created m England. In this reign the in- 
vaders penetrated into Mercia, and took up their winter 
quarters at Nottingham, whither the king instantly marched 
to dislodge them. A great battle en.sued, in which Ethelred 
was Idlled, leaving to Ahred the inheritance of a kingdom 
which had declined into an almost hopeless condition of weak- 
ness and distress. 

Alfred the Great. 

began to reign a. d. 872. died 901. 

XVm. Alfred the Great was just twenty-two years of 
age when he ascended the throne of England, and for the first 
eight years of his reign was engaged in an uninterrupted and 
disastrous warfare with the Danes. They, in fact, at one 
time made themselves entire masters of the kingdom, so that 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 17 

Alfred was obliged to assume many humble disguises, and 
hide himself in the woods, and in the cottages of his peasant 
subjects.^ In Somersetshu'e, however, he found friends and 
assistance, built a strong fort, assembled an army, and once 
more took the field against the Danes. Assuming the dis- 
guise of a wandering harper, he then penetrated to the 
enemy's camp, judged of the most favorable manner of 
attack, brought his soldiers unexpectedly upon them, and 
achieved a brilliant victory. Many years of peace ensued, 
during which this brave and good king applied himself to the 
improvement of his country and the happiness of his people. 
XIX. Alfred now framed a code of laws, some of which 
exist to the present day ; divided England into counties and 
hundreds; established the first regular militia; encouraged 
the arts and sciences ; and instructed the Enghsh in the 
art of navigation and ship building. He was the first 
monarch who made England a naval power ; and to state 
that he was the most accomplished man of his day, that 
he was the hero of fifty-six battles, that he established 
the system of trial by jury, and founded the University of 
Oxford, is but to relate a portion of his glory. After twelve 
years of peace, the Danes again invaded the coasts. They 
came under the command of Hastings, their sea king, with a 
fleet of three hundred and thirty-one ships, and landed on 
the coast of Kent, making Appledore their head quarters. 
A protracted struggle ensued, at the conclusion of which they 
were again defeated. The wife and family of Hastings were 
taken captives ; but Alfred, with his general moderation, 
restored them to the Danish cliief, on condition that he and 



1 In one of these disguises King Alfred ■was left alone one day, by a 
peasant's wife, to watch some cakes which she put to hake upon the hearth. 
But being at work upon his bow and arrows, with which he hoped to punish 
the Danes when a brighter time should come, and thinking of his poor, 
unhappy subjects, his noble mind forgot the cakes, and they were burned. 
What said the peasant's wife in a rage, when she came back, and little 
thinking that she was scolding the king ? " You will be ready enough to 
eat them by and by, and yet you cannot watch them, idle dog ! " 
2* 



18 OUTLINES OF 

all his followers should leave the country. To these terms 
they readily acceded; but some few lingered till the year 
897. Alfred died A. D. 901, at Farringdon, in Berkshire. 
He was buried at Winchester, and has left behind him the most 
honorable reputation for learning, courage, wisdom, and gen- 
erosity, of any English sovereign.! 

Edward the Elder. 

began to reign a. d. 901. died 925. 

XX. Edward the Elder, second son to King Alfred the 
Great, succeeded to the croAvn. His reign was troubled by 
the pretensions of his cousin Ethelwald, who disputed Ed- 
ward's claim, and fell at last on the field of battle. Towards 
the end of this king's reign he invaded Wales, and added to 
the endowments of the Cambridge University. He gradually 
extended his power over the whole of England, and so the 
seven kingdoms were firmly united in one.^ He died A. D. 
925, leaving a numerous family. 



^ Under Alfred, all tlie best points of the English-Saxon character were 
first encouraged, and in him first shown. It has been the greatest charac- 
ter among the nations of the earth. Wherever the descendants of the 
Saxon race have gone, have sailed, or otherwise made their way, even to 
the remotest regions of the world, they have been patient, persevering, 
never to be broken in spirit, never to be turned aside from enterprises on 
which they have resolved. In Europe, Asia, Africa, America, the whole 
■world over ; in the desert, in the forest, on the sea ; scorched by a burning 
sun, or frozen by ice that never melts, — the Saxon blood remains un- 
changed. Wheresoever that race goes, there law, and industry, and safety 
for life and property, and all the great results of steady perseverance, are 
certain to arise. 

2 When England thus became one kingdom, ruled over by one Saxon 
king, the Saxons had been settled in the country more than four hundred 
and fifty years. Great changes had taken place in its customs during that 
time. The Saxons were still greedy eaters and great drinkers, and their 
feasts were often of a noisy and drunken kind ; but many new comforts, and 
even elegances, had become known, and were fast increasing. Hangings 
for the walls of rooms, where, in these modern days, paper is used, are 
known to have been sometimes made of silk, ornamented with birds and 



english history. 19 

Athelstan. 

began to reign a. d. 925. died 941. 

XXI. King Athelstan had not been many years estab- 
lished on his father's throne when a great league was formed 
against him by the Danes, Scots, and other nations. They 
were, however, completely defeated, and six of the kings, his 
enemies, were slain, (A. D. 938.) This monarch caused the 
Bible to be translated into the Saxon tongue, and presented 
a copy to every church throughout the kingdom. He also 
gave encouragement to commerce by decreeing that every 
merchant who hagl taken three voyages should be entitled to 
the rank of a thane, or nobleman. Athelstan died at Glouces- 
ter, A. D. 941, and was bm'ied at Malmesbm-y, Wilts. 

Edmund I. 

BEGAN TO REIGN A. D. 941. DIED 947. 

XXn. Athelstan was followed by his brother Edmund, a 
youth of eighteen years of age, whose first act was to subdue 
the Danes gathered together under the command of Anlass. 
He was stabbed by a wicked robber named Leolf, (A. D. 947,) 
and Avas succeeded by his brother Edred, sixth son to Ed- 
ward the Elder. 



flowers in needlework. Tables and chairs were curiously carved in differ- 
ent woods ; were sometimes decorated with gold or silver ; sometimes even 
made of those precious metals. Knives and spoons were used at table ; 
golden ornaments were worn — with silk and doth, and golden tissues and 
embroideries ; dishes were made of gold and silver, brass and bone. There 
were varieties of drinking horns, bedsteads, musical instruments. A harp 
was passed round, at a feast, like the drinking bowl, from guest to guest ; 
and each one usually sang or played when his turn came. The weapons of 
the Saxons were stoutly made, and among them was a terrible iron hammer 
that gave deadly blows, and was long remembered. The Saxons themselves 
were a handsome people. The men were proud of their long, fair hair, 
parted on the forehead, their ample beards, their fresh complexions, and 
clear eyes ; and the beauty of the Saxon women filled all England with a 
new delight and grace. 



20 outlines of 

Edred. 
began to reign a. d. 947. died 955. 

XXIII. This king rebuilt Glastonbury Abbey, and was en- 
tirely ruled by the abbot, named Dunstan. Dunstan was, in 
fact, the virtual king of England. Edred died A. D. 955, 
and was buried at Winchester. 

Edwy. 

began to reign a. d. 955. died 959. 

XXIV. The profligate and careless Edwy received the 
crown of his uncle, and offended the prejudices of his clergy 
by marrying the Princess Elgiva, a lady of great beauty, but 
of near relationship to himself. Dunstan, who had hitherto 
been absolute in the kingdom, succeeded in uniting the 
priesthood against this marriage. Edwy was compelled to 
divorce his wife, and she was murdered with barbarous cru- 
elty by her enemies. Edwy died of grief, (A. D. 959,) being 
threatened by sedition in all parts of his dominions, and over- 
borne by the influence and hatred of Dunstan, the abbot. 

Edgar. 

began to reign a. d. 959. died 975. 

XXV. Edgar, surnamed the Peaceable, next ascended 
the throne. He was elected, and consequently governed, by 
the monks ; built many monasteries ; and increased the navy 
to three hundred and sixty ships. During this reign the 
tribute payable by the Welsh people was forgiven them on 
condition of their producing every year three hundred wolves' 
heads. In four years they exterminated every wolf from the 
mountains and forest lands of Wales. This king was so arro- 
gant of his conquests, that he caused his barge to be rowed 
by eight princes along the River Dee. He died after a reign 
of sixteen years, (A. D. 975.) 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 



21 



Edward II. 

BEGAN TO REIGN A. D. 975. DIED 978. 

XXVI. This unfortunate young monarch, commonly called 
the Mart>T, whose reign had promised to be happy and ju- 
dicious, was stabbed, (A. D. 978,) by order of his step-mother, 
Elfrida, while drinking a cup of wine at the gate of Corfe 
Castle, in Dorsetshu-e. He was succeeded by his half-brother, 
Ethelred, the son of ElMda, after a brief kingship of Httle more 
than three years. 

Ethelred II. 

began ^o reign a. d. 978. died 1016. 

XXVn. In this reign the Danes once more flocked to the 
cJoasts, and Ethelred was weak enough to buy them off with 
a money tribute, called Danegelt, which was levied by a tax 
of one shilhng on every hide of land throughout the country, 
and is the first land tax upon record in our history. Soon 
this, even, ceased to satisfy them, and the king formed a cow- 
ardly plan to massacre all the Danes in the Idngdom, instead . 
of meeting them in fair battle. This disgraceful slaughter- 
took place on the 13th of November, A. D. 1002, and was 
revenged by a great invasion of the enemy. They sailed 
from Denmark under the command of Sweyn, their king, 
who, after a protracted struggle of eleven years, jDut Ethelred 
to flight, and ascended the English throne, (A. D. 1013.) 

UNDER THE. DANES. A. D. 1013 TO 1041. 

Sweyn . . . began to reign 1013 ... died 1013. 

Canute ... « « 1017 .. .' " 1036. 

XXVin. SvTEYN died suddenly in little more than a 
month after he was proclaimed King of England. The Danes 
declared Canute, his son, king; but Ethelred returned and 
attempted to reign. A war immediately ensued, which lasted . 
three years, when Eth6hed died. The English people then 
declared Edmund, sumamed Ironside, son of Ethelred. II., 



22 OUTLINES OF 

king ; but he and Canute made peace by dividing the kingdom 
between them. Before Edmund had reigned for one year over 
his portion, he was murdered at Oxford, and Canute, who was 
at that time (A. D. 1017) the most powerful monarch in Eu- 
rope, became sole king.l Having not only conquered England, 
but the countries of Norway and Sweden, he called himself 
King of England, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. He ban- 
ished the children of Ethelred, but married Emma, their 
mother, and died (A. D. 1036) at Shaftesbury. 

Harold. 
began to reign a. d. 1036. died 1039. 

XXIX. Harold, sumamed Harefoot, from the swiftness 
with which he ran, was the son of Canute by his first wife. 
He reigned only three years, and died at Oxford, A. D. 1039. 

Hardicanute. 
began to reign a. d. 1039. died 1041. 

XXX. Harold was succeeded by his weak and wicked 
half-brother, Hardicanute. He died from intemperance, 
after a short reign of two years, (A. D. 1041,) and was the 
last representative of the Danish line. 

UNDER THE SAXONS. A. D. 1041 TO 1066. 

Edward the Confessor. 

began to reign a. d. 1041. died 1066. 

XXXI. A Saxon, known as Edward the Confessor, 

1 The old writers of history relate how that Canute was one day disgusted 
•with his courtiers for their flattery, and how he caused his chair to be set on 
the sea shore, and feigned to command the tide, as it came up, not to wet 
the edge of his robe, for the land was his ; how the tide came up, of course, 
without regarding him ; and how he then turned to his flatterers, and re- 
buked them, saying, what was the might of any earthly king to the might 
of the Creator, who could say unto the sea, " Thus far shalt thou go, and 
noferther"? 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 23 

was next chosen. This monarch was famous for his piety, and 
married Editha, daughter to Earl Godwin. Having been 
educated abroad, in the court of Normandy, Edward the 
Confessor retained but Httle affection for the customs, or even 
for the natives, of his own country. He evinced a marked 
preference throughout his reign for all French laws and 
habits, and by this line of conduct gave considerable cause 
for jealousy to his people. He repealed the tax called Dane- 
gelt, and was the first king who touched for that disease 
known as the king's evil. During this reign William, Duke 
of Normandy, came over to visit England, and Edward, it is 
said, then promised to him the reversion of the English 
crown. Edward the Confessor rebuilt Westminster Abbey, 
and at his death, on January 5, 1066, was canonized as a saint 
by the Roman Catholic church. 

Harold II. 

BEGAN TO REIGN AND DIED A. D. 1066. 

XXXn. Harold, son of Earl Godwin, was then elected 
king by the council of the states, but was destined to find a 
powerful opponent in Duke William of Normandy, This 
warlike and ambitious prince of France claimed the crown ; 
and gathering around his standard all the recruits he could 
muster, landed, with sixty thousand men, upon the coast of 
Sussex, and defeated the EngHsh in a great battle, (October 
14, 1066,) rendered still more disastrous by the death of 
Harold, and famous to all as the battle of Hastings. 

Thus ended the Saxon period, which had subsisted with va- 
rious fortune in England for upwards of six hundred years. 

QUESTIONS TO CHAPTER I. 

I. What was the ancient con- the state of the country at this 
dition of Britain ? By whom was early period ? 

it inhabited ? III. What was the religion cf 

II. By what name were the the Britons ? What is said cf 
people called ? For what were the Druids ? 

they distinguished ? What was lY. Who was the first con- 



24 



OUTLINES OF 



queror of Britain ? "When did 
Julius Ceesar land ? 

V. Who was the second con- 
queror, and when did he arrive ? 
"Who was Caractacus ? 

VI. "What injuries roused the 
Britons to a second rebellion ? 
What was the result of this 
rebellion ? 

VII. Who established the Ro- 
man power in Britain ? What 
good service did Agricola do 
the Britons, and what great 
work of defence did he build for 
them ? Where, and when, and 
by whom was the second wall 
constructed ? When and by 
whom was the third wall con- 
stri;icted ? 

VIII. For how long did the 
Romans remain masters of Eng- 
land ? Why did they withdraw 
their forces ? How had they 
improved the condition of the 
country } 

IX. What caused the Britons 
to apply to the Saxons for aid ? 
When did the Saxons come over, 
and who were their leaders ? 
How did the Saxons reward 
themselves for beating the Scots ? 
What became of the native 
Britons ? 

X. Who was King Arthur, 
and for what is he famous ? 
What term of peace did he 
secure for his people i Into 
how many kingdoms was Eng- 
land afterwards divided ? By 
what name is this period known 
in history ? 

XI. Relate the order of dis- 
tribution among the seven 
Saxon kings. 

XII. Did the kings reign in 
peace together ? What was the 
state of the country at this 
time ? Who was Augustin, 
and what did he effect in Eng- 
land ? What churches were 
built, and what temples pulled 
down ? When was the Cam- 
bridge University founded ? 



"When were the people con- 
verted to Christianity, and by 
whom ? Who united the seven 
kingdoms into one ? By what 
name was it then called ? 

XIII. What was the conduct 
of the Danes at this time ? 
When did Egbert die ? 

XIV. By whom was Egbert 
succeeded ? Relate the chief 
acts of Ethelwolf. Relate the 
events of 851. What pilgrimage 
did he make ? When did Ethel- 
wolf die ? 

XV. By whom was Ethelwolf 
succeeded ? 

XVI. By whom was Ethel- 
bald succeeded ? Relate the 
encroachments of the Danes. 
When did Ethelbert die, and by 
whom was he succeeded ? 

XVII. What was the charac- 
ter of Ethelred ? How many 
battles did he fight in one year ? 
What was the manner of Ethel- 
red's death ? 

XVIII. At what age did Al- 
fred the Great begin his reign, 
and in what year ? Relate the 
events of the first eight years of 
his reign. 

XIX. How did Alfred em- 
ploy the years of peace that 
followed ? Of how many bat- 
tles was he the hero ? What 
system of trial did he intro- 
duce, and what great abode of 
learning did he found ? Who 
was Hastings, and in what way 
did Alfred treat the captive 
family ? When did he die, and 
what reputation has he left ? 

XX. Who was the successor 
of Alfred ? Relate the events 
of Edward's reign. 

XXI. What great league was 
formed against Athelstan, and 
how did it terminate ? What 
great work did he cause to be 
translated? When did Athel- 
stan die ? 

XXII. By whom wp-s Athel- 
stan succeeded, and what was 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 



25 



the first act of the new king ? 
When did Edmund die, and by 
whose hand ? 

XXIII. By whom was Ed- 
mund I. succeeded ? What ab- 
bey was rebuilt by Edred, and 
by whom was the king ruled ? 
When did he die ? 

XXIV. What was the char- 
acter of Edwy, and in what way 
did he otfend the clergy ? What 
became of Elgiva, and when did 
the king die i 

XXV. By what class of men 
was Edgar the Peaceable gov- 
erned } Relate his principal 
deeds. When did he die ? 

XXVI. By whom was Edgar 
succeeded, and how was he 
murdered ? 

XXVII. What king next as- 
cended the throne ? What was 
the Danegeltf When did the 
cowardly massacre of the Danes 
take place ? How was it re- 
venged ? 

XXVIII. For how long did 



Sweyn reign in England, and 
by whom was he succeeded ? 
Who was Edmund Ironside, 
and what was his fate ? Name 
the titles of Canute. Whom did 
he marry, and when did he die ? 

XXIX. Who was Harold I. ? 
How long did he reign, and 
when did he die } 

XXX. By whom was Harold 
succeeded ? From what cause 
and in what year did Hardi- 
canute die ? 

XXXI. Of what nation was 
Edward the Confessor ? To 
whom did he promise the crown 
of England ? When did he die, 
and what honors did he receive 
after death } 

XXXII. Whose son was Har- 
old .^ Who disputed Harold's 
right to the crown ? Of whom 
did William's army consist ? 
When was the battle of Has- 
tings fought ? For how long- 
had the Saxons ruled in Eng-- 
land? 



CHAPTER II, 



THE NORMAN MONARCHS. 



Began to reign. Died. 

WHLIAM I, A. D. 1066 1087. 

William II. " 1087 1100. 

Henry I. « 1100 1135. 



Began to reign. 

Stephen. \ 

(House of Blois.) J 



1135. 



Died. 
1154. 



William I. 

BEGAN TO reign A. D. 1066.. DIED 1087. 

I. William I., known as the Conqueror, was as politic as 
he was ambitious. Being wisely determined not to irritate 
those whom he had conquered, he forbore to seize upon the 
crown as upon mere booty, but went through the form of 
asking the sanction of the English . themselves — a sanction. 
3 



26 OUTLINES OF 

which was not long withheld by the clergy and nobility, and 
for which he testified his gratitude by entering into a solemn 
engagement to protect the rights and Kberties of his new 
subjects. These oaths are still taken by every English mon- 
arch on the day of coronation. 

II. At first he governed impartially enough ; but, some- 
how, became greatly changed after the -lapse of a few years, 
and did such deeds as left him the reputation of a ruthless 
tyrant. He seized the rich estates of Saxon landholders,^ and 
gave them away to his Norman followers ; had a great sur- 
vey made of all the land in England, which was entered as 
the property of its new comers, on a roll called Doomsday 
Book ; obliged the people to put out their fires at a certain 
hour every night, on the ringing of a bell called the curfew ; 
formed the JVeiv Forest for his boar and deer hunting, by 
depopulating a tract of country about thirty miles in circuit, 
demolishing thirty-six parish churches, together with the 
houses of its inhabitants ; instituted the forest laws, which 
deprived the people of their ancient right of hunting and 
killing game throughout the kingdom, making it a greater 
crime to take the life of an animal than that of a man ; 
made the feudal system ^ far more oppressive than during the 
reign of the Saxon kings; and even strove to make the 

1 Many of the Saxon landholders would not submit to the rule of the 
Normans, and took shelter in the forests which then covered a great part of 
the counti-y, and subsisted by robbery ; a"nd as their children were bred up 
in the same wretched mode of life, England was long infested by such free- 
booters. The famous Robin Hood was one of these outlaws. 

2 The feudal system Avas first brought into England by the Saxons. This 
system was a custom of giving land for services, and the person who held 
the land was the vassal of him who granted it, and was bound to perform 
certain services for him. The nobles and bishops were the vassals of the 
king ; the common people were the vassals of the nobles and bishops. The 
services required by the king of the crown vassals, as they were called, waa 
to bring him soldiers and money, whenever he was going to war. Thus the 
armies were raised in the feudal times, every baron bringing his train of 
armed vassals into the field ; for the people were all bound to arm them- 
selves as soldiers, and follow their lord whenever they were commanded to 
do so; and they were obliged to contribute money also, to make up tha 
sum wanted by their lord for the king. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 27 

French language the language of the country, by causing it 
to be adopted in the service of the church and in the courts 
of justice. Hence arose the mked vocabulary of the Eng- 
lish language, which to this day consists as much of Norman 
as of Saxon words. William the Conqueror died A. D. 
1087, bequeathing England in his will to Wilham, Normandy 
to Robert, and five thousand pounds to Henry. ^ 

William II. 

BEGAN TO reign A. D. 1087. DIED 1100. 

in. William Rufus, so named from the red color of his 
hair, succeeded his father. He inherited the ambition and 
talents of his father, and was like him avaricious, tyrannical, 
and cruel. His reign was constantly disturbed by insmrec- 
tions, and by quarrels with the ecclesiastics, particularly with 
Anselm, the archbishop of Canterbiu*y. He at one time in- 
vaded Normandy, the dukedom of his elder brother Robert, 
as some of his subjects had declared in favor of Robert for 
king, but returned without a battle, a treaty of peace having 
been concluded between them. 

IV. During his reig-n commenced those extraordinary 
wars, carried on by all the chivalry of Europe, against the 
Saracen possessors of Jerusalem, known by the name of the 
Crusades.*^ The first crusade went out in the year 1095, 

1 Notwithstanding the tyranny of the Normans, their conquest produced 
good as well as evil. They were a more civilized people than the Saxons, 
and better acquainted with many arts, especially those of agriculture and 
architecture. Even chimneys were not introduced into England until after 
the conquest. 

2 It had long been the custom of Europe for people to make journeys to 
Jerusalem, which were called pilgrimages, to visit the tomb of our Saviour. 
Jerusalem belonging to the Turks, and the Turks hating Christianity, these 
pilgrims were often insulted and ill used. At length a monk called Peter 
the Hermit began to preach throughout Europe that it was the duty of all 
Christian warriors to deliver Jerusalem from the hands of the Turks. An 
excitement, such as the world had never known before, was created. Thou- 
sands and thousands of men, of all ranks and conditions, departed for Jeru- 
salem, to make war against the Turks. The war is called in history the 
first crusade. 



28 OUTLINES OF 

and with it, amongst other sovereign princes, Robert, Duke 
of Normandy, who mortgaged his rich provinces to William 
Rufus for five years, that he might have sufficient money for 
the enterprise ; but before starting for France to take jjosses- 
sion of these new lands, WiUiam was accidentally shot by Sir 
Walter Tyrrel, A. D. 1100, while hunting deer in the New 
Forest. This monarch erected Westmiiister Hall for his 
banqueting chamber. It was then the largest room in Eu- 
rope ; but was afterwards pulled down and rebuilt by Richard 
n. In the year 1100, four thousand acres of land, which had 
been the property of Earl Godwin, father to Harold II., and 
were by him bequeathed to the monks of Canterbmy, were 
suddenly overflowed by the sea. The site where they once 
extended Hes opposite the city of Deal, and is known to 
sailors as one of the most dangerous upon the coast line. 
They are called the Goodwin Sands. 

Henry I. 

BEGAN TO REIGN A. D. 1100. DIED 1135. 

V. Henry, youngest brother to Wilfiam Rufiis, now has- 
tened up to Winchester ; secured the royal treasure ; mar- 
ried Matilda, a descendant of the ancient Saxon line ; removed 
the unpopular restrictions of the curfew ; and had succeeded 
in obtaining the throne and the favor of the people, before 
Duke Robert (the rightful heir) could come over to dispute 
the succession. He then made war upon Robert ; invaded 
Normandy ; possessed himself of that entire duchy ; took 
the duke prisoner, and confined him in Cardiff Castle for the 
remainder of his life, a period of eight and twenty years. 

VI. King Henry I. had one son, who, with a hundred and 
forty young men of the noblest famiHes in England, was 
drowned off the coast of Harfleur, (A. D. 1120,) on his re- 
turn fi-om Normandy, where he had been receiving the hom- 
age of the French barons. The death of this prince was a 
great blow to the king, who is said never to have smiled after- 
wards. During this reign, a body of military monks, called 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 29 

the Knights Templars, established themselves in England ; 
the first English park was laid out at Woodstock ; rents were 
made payable in money, having previously been payable in 
cattle, corn, &c. ; the coinage was corrected ; a standard fixed 
for the regulation of weights and measui'es ; and the length 
of the English yard taken from the measurement of the 
king's arm. Woollen stufis were also introduced at this time 
fi-om the Low Countries, and a colony of Flemings settled 
at Worsted, near Norwich, for manufacturing purposes. 
Hem-y I. died (A. D. 1135) in the sixty-seventh year of his 
age, leaving one daughter, named Matilda, ^^•ife to the em- 
peror of Germany. It is said that King Henry died from 
eating too largely of a dish of lampreys. 

Stephen, (Earl of Blois.) 

BEG.\N TO REIGN A. D. 1135. DIED 1154. 

VIL Stephen, Earl of Blois, and nephew to King Henry, 
hastened over from Normandy, and was received as king by 
the lower orders of the people, although Matilda, by right of 
birth, should have reigned in England. He had more diffi- 
culty with the clergy, but gained even their votes at last ; 
seized the royal treasure ; and, to obtain favor with the pop- 
ulace, restored the laws made by Edward the Confessor. 

VIII. Matilda did not long delay her claim, and, shortly 
after these events, landed T\ith a brave little retinue of one 
hundred and forty knights, took Arundel Castle, gathered 
together a considerable number of recruits, gained a battle 
over Stephen, (A. D, 1140,) and was cro\^Tied Queen of Eng- 
land at Winchester Cathedral. She was not liked, however, 
by either the people or the nobihty. Stephen was again 
recognized as king, and Matilda deposed. She contrived to 
escape, and brought up her son, named Henry, as a futm-e 
rival to the usurper. 

IX. When Prince Henrj^ had reached his sixteenth year, 
he showed such courage and talent that he received the hon- 
or of knighthood, (A. D. 1135,) and undertook an invasion 

3* 



30 



OUTLINES OF 



of England. Stephen was by this time worn out with the 
struggles of many years, and, to prevent further bloodshed 
and misery, agreed that the youth should be associated with 
him in the government, and succeed to the crown upon his 
decease. A great fire devastated London during this reign, 
(A. D. 1136,) and all the city from Aldgate to St. Paul's was 
laid in ruins. Sugar was first introduced about this period, 
and the Tower first constituted a royal residence. Stephen 
was a just and moderate monarch, and at his death, in the 
year 1154, the kingdom passed quietly into the hands of the 
house of Plantagenet. 



QUESTIONS TO CHAPTER II. 



I. "What proceedings were 
taken by "William to obtain the 
crown ? In what way did he 
testify his gratitude ? In what 
way is that ceremony perpet- 
uated ? 

II. What alteration took 
place in the character of Wil- 
liam I. ? What wrongs did he 
inflict upon the English ? 
Whence arose the mixed char- 
acter of our language.^ 

III. In what year did Wil- 
liam the Conqueror die, and by 
whom was he succeeded ? What 
is said of his character ? Of his 
reign ? What invasion was un- 
dertaken by William Rufus ? 

IV. What extraordinary wars 
were begun during this reign ? 
When did the first crusade go 
out ? In what manner did the 
king become possessed of Nor- 
mandy .? What was the manner 
of his death .? When did he die ? 

V. Who succeeded Rufus ? 
What steps did Henry take to 
secure the crown ? Who was 
the rightful heir ? What was 
the result of the war between 
Henry and Robert ? For how 
long was the Duke of Normandy 
imprisoned ? 

VI. What dreadful accident 



occurred to King Henry's only 
son ? How old was the king 
when he died ? What family 
did he leave to lament his loss ? 
What is alleged as the cause of 
King Henry's death ? Who 
were the Knights Templars ? 
Relate the improvements effect- 
ed during this reign. When did 
Henry die ? 

VII. Who was Stephen, and 
in what way did he oppose the 
claims of Matilda ? By whom 
was he most favorably received ? 
What steps did he take to secure 
the favor of the populace ? 

VIII. With what forces did 
Matilda land, and what success 
had she ? In what year was she 
crowned? Did she long con- 
tinue to reign .'' With what ob- 
ject did she educate her son ? 

IX. What was the character 
of Prince Henry } When did 
he undertake to invade Eng- 
land ? Into what agreement did 
the king enter ? What great 
calamity befell the city of Lon- 
don during this reign ? What 
useful condiment was first intro- 
duced, and to what purpose was 
the Tower at this time devoted ? 
When did Stephen die, and 
what ensued ? 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 



31 



CHAPTER III. 



THE HOUSE OF PLANTAGENET. 



Began to reign. Died. 
Henry II. a. d. 1164 . . . 1189 

KiCHARD I. " 1189 . . . 1199 

JouN " 1199 . . . 1216 

Henry HI. " 1216 . . . 1272 



Began to reign. Died. 
Edward I. a. d. 1272 . . . 1307 

Edward II. " 1307 . . . 1327 

Edward III. " 1327 . . . 1377 

Richard II. « 1377 . . . 1399 



Henry II. 
began to reign a. d. 1154. died 1189. 

I. Henry H. was the most powerful monarch of his time. 
He subdued Ireland and Wales, and ruled over a larger por- 
tion of French territory than the King of France himself. 
During his reign, the arrogance and ambition of the clergy 
exceeded all bomids. They raised immense sums by taxes 
and the sale of pardons, and England began at last to get 
impoverished by the demands of Rome. This the king re- 
solved manjEully to oppose. In order to do so the more 
effectually, he elevated Thomas a Becket, his chancellor, to 
the priesthood, and even made him Archbishop of Canter- 
bmy, thinking by these means to secure a valuable rival to 
the Pope of Rome; but herein he was greatly mistaken. 
A Becket was a man of inferior birth and brilliant talents, 
who loved poAver and splendor better than any thing in the 
world ; and no sooner was he invested with these new digni- 
ties than he went over to the side of the clergy, supported 
them in all then- measm-es, and offered a more determined 
resistance to King Henry's will than any one had yet done. 

II. A great dissension ensued, during which the king and 
the archbishop mutually defied each other. A Becket ex- 
communicated several of the bishops ; threatened even to 
excommunicate the king; fled over to the continent, and, 
being at length pardoned, was permitted to return to his dio- 
cese, after years of negotiation. Here he again behaved with 
such open insolence, that Hemy, being then in Normandy, 



32 - OUTLINES OF 

was one day tempted to utter a rash wish for his death ; 
whereupon four knights crossed over to England for the pm- 
pose, and murdered the defenceless old man (A. D. 1170) 
before the altar of Canterbury Cathedral. 

III. King Henry was greatly shocked, and even did pub- 
lic penance ^ at the tomb of A Becket ; but from this time 
his Hfe became very unhappy. Frequent wars disturbed the 
kingdom, and, being appealed to by one of the native Irish 
princes for assistance against a neighboring chieftain, Henry 
invaded and subdued Ireland, (A. D. 1172;) annexed that 
country to the English crown, and governed there by means 
of a viceroy ; thus acting over again the part taken by the 
Saxons, when first summoned over to England by the native 
Britons. Henry also conquered in Wales, and obtained the 
first ascendency over Scotland. During this reign, London 
bridge was rebuilt in stone ; England was divided into six 
legal circuits, (A. D. 1176 ;) charters were granted to many 
towns ; and the windows of private dwelling houses were 
made of glass. Henry's sons were rebellious, and the eldest 
died; so that on the decease of the king, in the year 1189, 
he was succeeded by his second son, Richard, known in his- 
tory and romance as Richard the Lion-hearted. 

Richard L 

began to reign a. d. 1189. died 1199. 

TV. King Richard I. was a very brave soldier, and spent . 
his whole reign in warfare on the continent, and in crusades 
to the Holy Land. He can scarcely be called an English 
king at all, for he could not speak one word of Saxon, and, 
although he was king for ten years, passed only eight months 
in England. Returning from the East, he fell into the poAver 

1 Having approached witMn three miles of Canterbury, he dismounted, 
walking barefoot over the flinty road, which in some places he marked with 
blood, to the consecrated spot; spent there, in fasting and prayer, a day 
and night ; and even presented his bare shoulders to be scourged by the 
monks with a knotted cord. 



ENGLISH HlS'JOUr. 33 

of Leopold, Duke of Austria, by whom he was detahied in 
prison till ransomed by his faithful subjects. Richard fell 
while besieging the Castle -of Chalus, near Limoges, in France, 
and was succeeded in 1199 by his brother John. 

John. 

began to reign a. d. 1199. died 1216. 

V. John was one of the worst and meanest kings that 
ever reigned in England. His name has come down to pos- 
terity as a type of baseness, cowardice, and treachery. Out- 
raged by his oppressions, and emboldened by his weaknesses, 
the barons compelled this monarch to sign that signal ratifi- 
cation of EngKsh hberties and rights which is famous in the 
annals of England as the " Magna Charta," or Great Char- 
ter/ This event took place in 1215, at Runnymede, near 
Windsor. The Cinque Ports ^ durmg this reign were en- 
dowed with additional privileges ; the first standing army 
was levied in England ; and the establishment of an annual 
election for the lord mayor and sheriffs of the city of London 
instituted. King John was deprived of his French provinces, 

1 By this charter, he pledged himself to maintain the church in its rights; 
to relieve the barons of oppressive obligations to the crown ; to respect the 
liberties of London, and all other cities and boroutrhs; to protect foreign 
merchants, who came to England ; to imprison no man without a fair trial ; 
and to sell, delay, or deny justice to no one. From this time, the feudal 
system began to decline; the free citizens became more independent; and 
the lower orders were gradually released from bondage, and became a frea 
people. 

2 The Cinque Ports, so called by way of eminence, are five havens that 
lie towards France, which are vigilantly preserved against invasion. Wil- 
liam the Conqueror first appointed a warden of the Cinque Ports; but King 
John first granted them their privileges, upon condition that they should 
provide eighty ships at their own charges, for forty days, as often as the 
king should have occasion in the wars; he being then straitened for a 
navy to recover Normandy, The Five Ports are Hastings, Romney, Hythe, 
Dover, and Sandwich. The privileges granted to them were very great. 
Each of them were to send two barons to represent them in Parliament; 
they were exempted from subsidies and other aids ; their heirs were to b« 
free from personal vyardship; and many other privileges. 



34 OUTLINES OF 

in consequence of the cruelty with which he treated the chil- 
dren of his elder brother Geoffrey. Prince Arthur, his young 
nephew, and heir to the crown, was murdered by his com- 
mand at the Castle of Rouen, A. D. 1202 ; and Arthur's 
sister, the Princess Eleanor, called the Damsel of Brittany, 
was imprisoned in Bristol Castle, where she died A. D. 1241. 
King John reigned for seventeen years, and died universally 
detested. 

Henry III. 

BEGAN TO REIGN A. D. 1216. DIED 1272. 

VI. King Henry III. was but nine years of age when he 
received the crown, and for many years the kingdom was 
governed by his guardians. He was of a weak and irresolute 
character, and dm'ing his reign tried to aboHsh Magna Charta. 
All London, and the chief landholders and inhabitants of the 
county towns, rose in defence of their liberties, and the king, 
with his son, was defeated and imprisoned, and forced once 
more to confirm the safety of his people. The assemblmg 
of the nobles and burgesses of England at this juncture 
(A. D. 1258,) is considered to be the first outline of the 
Commons' Parliament. Coal began to be used for firing in 
this reign; a license was gi-anted to the people of Newcastle 
for the working of their mines. Gold coinage, also, was in- 
troduced, and the art of distillation derived from the Moors. 
After a feeble reign of fifty-six years. King Henry HI. died, 
in the year 1272, and was succeeded by Edward, his eldest 
son. 

Edward I. 

BEGAN TO REIGN A. D. 1272. DIED 1307. 

VII. Edward I., a clear-headed, resolute, and militar}-- 
monarch, grasped the sceptre with a hand of iron. He added 
further privileges to Magna Charta,' granted the freedoms of 

1 Edward added an important clause to the Magna Charta, to secure the 
people from the imposition of any tax without the consent of Parliament, 
Ever since his reign, there has been a regular succession of Parliaments. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 35 

the Cinque Ports, created his son first Prince of AVales, after 
haAing subdued that country, and, in honor of the useful 
laws which he enacted, obtained the name of the English 
Justinian. Gunpowder was invented during the reign of this 
king by the celebrated E-oger Bacon; paper was brought 
from the East by the crusaders ; wine was sold as a cordial 
by the apothecaries ; and the mariner's compass was invented 
by one Gioja, of Naples. Westminster Abbey, which had 
been in the course of erection for sixty years, was at this 
time completed, and great advances were made in literatm-e, 
social science, and general civilization. Edward I. died A. D. 
1307. 

Edward II. 

began to reign a. d. 1307. died 1327. 

VIII. Edward XL, son of Edward I., ascended the throne 
in 1307. Of a character and disposition the very reverse of 
his father's, the young king lost the confidence and respect 
of his people, sufiered his nobles to gain undue power, and 
was wholly governed by foreign favoiites. In the year 1314, 
war was declared with Scotland ; and on June 25th, the fa- 
mous battle of Bannockbm-n took place, in which Robert 
Bruce, with only 30,000 Scots, signally defeated the royal 
army, consisting of 100,000 men. King Edward naiTowly 
escaped with life ; 50,000 English were lulled or taken pris- 
oners, and the name of the northern hero w^as crowned with 
undying glory. In 1322, a rebellion, headed by the Earl of 
Lancaster, was crushed at Boroughbridge, in Yorkshire, and 
that nobleman was punished with death. Not long after this 
event, the powerful barons coalesced against the favorites, and 
the wealv monarch whom they governed. They executed 
first Piers Gaveston, the Gascon, and then Hugh de Spenser 
and his son, all of whom had richly deserved the accumulated 
hatred and scorn of both nobles and people. Edward then 
withdrew into Wales, pursued by the Earl of Leicester. 
Even his wife, a piincess of Erance, took up arms against 
him, and conducted the rebellion of the barons. This pusil- 



36 OUTLINES OF 

lanimous king was compelled at length to abdicate the 
throne, and yield himself prisoner, when he was confined in 
Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire, and horribly put to death, 
(A. D. 1327.)* During the reign of Edward II., the House of 
Commons first began to annex petitions to their bills ; the 
society of Knights Templars was suppressed ; earthen Avare 
was brought into use for household pm-poses ; the University 
of Dublin was founded ; and the interest of money rose to the 
usurious rate of forty-five per cent. 

Edward III. 

BEGAN TO HEIGN A. D. 1327, DIED 1377. 

IX. King Edward III. succeeded his unhappy father in 
the year 1327.^ A more powerful monarch England never 
acknowledged. He subdued Scotland, invaded France, and, 
without any reason save ambition and the love of fighting, 
claimed the crown of that country for himself It was upon 
this occasion that the famous battle of Cressy was fought, 
(A. D. 1346,) when Edward's son, knoAvn in history as the 
Black Prince,^ won immortal fame by his intrepidity and 
coolness — a fame which he more than doubled some few 
years after, at the great battle of Poictiers, (A. D. 1356.) 
Doling this reign London contained at one time two captive 
kings — John of France and David of Scotland. The latter 
remained prisoner in England for eleven years ; and the for- 
mer, failing in his endeavor to raise the sum stipulated for 



1 Isabella, his queen, had fixed her affections upon Roger Mortimer, a 
youthful }3aron ; and they conspired together to compel Edward to resign 
his crown to his son. The king was put to death by order of Mortimer. 

^ When Edward was proclaimed king, he was but fourteen years of age, 
and a regency consisting of twelve men was appointed " to have the rule 
and government" of the country; yet Mortimer and Isabella had the chief 
control. When Edward assumed the government, however, Mortimer was 
hanged upon a gibbet, by order of Parliament, and Isabella was imprisoned 
for life. 

3 He was called the Black Prince from the color or covering of his armor. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 37 

his ransom, suiTendered himself to a life of honorable caj)- 
tivity at the com*t of his conqueror, and died at the old palace 
of the Savoy, in the Strand, which at that time was studded 
with parks and country seats, and formed no part of the city 
of London. 

Dm-ing this reign, a fearful pestilence, known as the hlack 
death, raged throughout Europe, and is estimated to have 
cost more life than all the wars of King Edward III. Wind- 
sor Castle now fell into disuse as a fortress, and was reserved 
exclusively for the residence of royalty ; the art of paint- 
uig in oils was invented by Van Eyck ; cloth weaving was 
introduced from Elanders ; and the Lords and Commons for 
the first time occupied separate chambers at Westminster. 
Li 1376 the Black Prince died, leaving one child to the care 
of the old king, who followed his valiant son to the grave 
before a year was over. 

Richard II. 

BEGAN TO REIGN A. D. 1377. DIED 1399. 

X. Richard IL, son of the Black Prince, and the last 
representative of the House of Plantagenet, was only eleven 
years of age when the kingdom of England devolved to him by 
right of bii-th, (A. D. 1377.) He was indolent, prodigal, and 
perfidious. The conquests and expeditions of his father and 
gi-andfather had added to the glory, but diminished the wealth, 
of the nation ; and during the long minority which miavoida- 
bly followed his accession, the nobles, as usual, were rebel- 
lious, and the people discontented. A tax of three groats (or 
three fourpenny pieces) being imjustly levied on every person 
in the kingdom, male and female, above the age of fifteen 
years, (A. D. 1381,) the people rose in open rebellion, head- 
ed by Wat Tyler, whom they chose for their leader. This 
rebellion was suppressed by the young king, at that time 
only sixteen years of age, who immediately granted to them 
the concessions which they demanded. These, however, he 
4 



38 OUTLINES OF 

afterwards revoked, and proved himself to be a more fickle and 
feeble sovereign than even Edward 11. 

In the year 1398, the Duke of Gloucester, upon suspicion 
of treason, was imprisoned at Calais, and there murdered ; 
which act of oppression gave great offence to the Parliament 
and people. This being the case, Richard found none to de- 
fend or pity him, when his cousin, Henry of Lancaster, whom 
he had previously banished, returned suddenly from exile, as- 
sembled an army of sixty thousand men, seized upon the su- 
preme authority, and after compelling Richard to sign his 
abdication, confined that unfortunate sovereign in Pontefract 
Castle, Yorkshire, and there had him basely murdered, thus 
terminating the lordly and brilliant line of Plantagenet 
kings. 

Richard 11. built the present Westminster Hall, and lived 
more royally than any of his predecessors. His household 
consisted of no less than ten thousand persons, and in matters 
of fashion he set the most luxurious and costly example. 
The old English poet Geofirey Chaucer flourished during 
this reign ; William of Wykeham, distinguished for his learn- 
ing and piety, and famous as the founder of Winchester 
School, and New College, Oxford, lived ; and John Wicliffe, 
the herald of the great reformation, expired A. D. 1385, in 
his rectory at Lutterworth, Leicester. 

QUESTIONS TO CHAPTER III. 

L Name the possessions of der what circnmstances, did the 

Henry II. Of what errors were king subdue Ireland ? Name 

the clergy guilty during this the other conquests of Henry II. 

reifjn ? Who was Thomas a Relate the remarkable improve- 

Becket, and to what rank was ments effected during this reign, 

he elevated r "What were his domestic sor- 

II. Relate the circumstances rows ? When did he die, and 
of the quarrel between the king by whom was he succeeded ? 
and the archbishop. What was IV. What was the character 
the manner of his death ? In of Richard I. ? Was he a 
what year was he murdered ? thorough Englishman ? What 

III. What testimony of grief disaster befell him in Austria ? 
did Henry show for A Becket's By whom was he succeeded, and 
death ? In what year, and un- in what year ? 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 



39 



V. Describe the character and 
disposition of John. What was 
the great event of this reign ? 
In what year was Magna Charta 
sicrned ? How did John lose 
hil French provinces ? For 
how long did John reign ? 

VI. By whom was King John 
succeeded, and in what year ? 
What was the age of Henry III. 
when he received the crown ? 
In what way did he infringe the 
liberties of the people? How 
did they show their resentment ? 
In what year did the nobles and 
burgesses meet ? What great 
body politic was outlined at this 
time ? How long « did Henry 
reign, and by whom was he suc- 
ceeded ? 

VII. What privileges did Ed- 
ward I. grant to his people ? 
Who was the first Prince of 
Wales ? What name did King 
Edward obtain ? What re- 
markable inventions took place 
during his reign ? 

VIII. When did Edward II. 
ascend the throne ? What was 
the character of this king ? In 
what way was he opposed by his 
wife ? What was his end ? 



IX. Who succeeded Edward 
II., and in what year ? What 
were the warlike enterprises of 
Edward III. ? What famous 
battles were fought in this reign, 
when did they take place, and 
who was the hero of both ? 
What two kings were at one 
time captives in London ? 
Where did John of France die ? 
Relate the chief events of this 
reign. When did the Black 
Prince die, and how soon after 
did the king his father follow 
him to the grave ? 

X. How old was Richard II. 
when he ascended the throne ? 
WTiat was his character ? 
What was the state of the 
kingdom, and why did the peo- 
ple rebel ? Who suppressed the 
rebellion ? Wliat sort of a mon- 
arch was Richard II. ? What 
was the fate of the Duke of 
Gloucester ? Who deposed the 
king ? Where was he impris- 
oned, and in what way did he 
die ? In what year did these 
events happen ? What great 
men flourished during this 
reign ? 



CHAPTER IV 



THE HOUSES OF LANCASTER AND YORK. 



Henry IV. 
Henry V. 
Henry VI. 



}gan to reign. Died. 
A. D. 1399 . . . 1413. 

" 1413 .. . 1422. 

" 1422 ... ? 



Began to reign. Died. 
Edward IV. a. d. 1461 . . . 1483. 
Edward V. « 1483 . . . 1483, 

Richard III. " 1483 . . . 1485. 



Henry IV. 

BEG.\N TO REIGN A. D. 1399. DIED 1413. 

I. Henry TV., sumamed Bolingbroke from the place of his 
birth, had no lescal riffht to the English crown. He was a 



40 OUTLINES OF 

usurper,^ and the" career of a usurper is not frequently happy. 
That of Henry IV. was peculiarly wretched, imbittered by 
the desertion of his friends, troubled by the animosities of 
his barons, disturbed by conspiracies, and endangered by open 
rebellions of the Scots and the Welsh.^ He was also grieved 
by the excesses of the Prince of Wales, who, though brave and 
generous-hearted enough, gave himself up to every kind of 
dissipation and self-indulgence, and was even sent, on one oc- 
casion, to prison by Judge Gascoigne, for contempt of court. ^ 
Henry IV. attached himself zealously to the established 
religion, and having constituted himself the champion of the 
church, became also the persecutor of Wicliffe's adherents. 
The Rev. Sir William Sautre, Rector of St. Oswyth, London, 
fell a victim to the king's mistaken bigotry, (A. D. 1401,) 
and was the first person burned in England for his religious 
opinions. The order of the Bath was instituted during this 
reign, and cannon were first used in England at the siege of 
Berwick, (A. T>. 1405.) In the year 1407, thirty thousand 
persons died of the plague ; and in the course of the same 
year, James, son of Robert HI., King of Scotland, was seized 
off Flamborough Head, whilst on his way to Erance, and 
notwithstanding that there was peace between the Scots and 
English at that time, was detained prisoner in England 
and not released till the sum of £40,000 was paid over for 
his ransom, in the year 1423. Henry IV. died at West- 

1 Edmund Mortimer was the true heir to the crown, being descended from 
L;onel, the third son of Edward III., whereas Henry was the son of John of 
Gaunt, the fourth son of Edward III. Hence began the contests between 
the houses of York and Lancaster. 

2 The Scots under Douglas, and the Welsh under Owen Glendower, took 
part with the rebels. They were, however, defeated at the battle of 
Shrewsbury, A. D. 1403, and their leader, Percy, (Hotspur,) who, provoked 
by the supposed neglect of the king, had taken arms against him, was 
killed. 

3 When the king was told that the prince was committed to prison, he 
exclaimed, " Happy is the king who has a magistrate endowed with coui'age 
to execute the laws upon such an offender ; still more happy in having a 
son willing to submit to such chastisement." 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 41 

minster in 1413, after a reign of fourteen years, and a turbu- 
lent life of forty-six. 

Henry Y. 

beg.\n to reign a. d. 1413. died 1422. 

II. King Henry V. had no sooner succeeded to the 
throne, than, much to the surprise of all the nation, he re- 
formed his life, and showed himself a temperate, just, and 
wise sovereign. The great event of his reign Avas the con- 
quest of France, when he won the celebrated battles of Har- 
fleur and Agincourt, (A. D. 1415,) and was recognized heir 
to Charles VI. He then married the Princess Catharme of 
France, the nobles swore obedience to him, and it was con- 
cluded by treaty that upon the death of Charles the two 
kingdoms were to be united in the English crowii. In the 
month of May, 1422, Hem-y, with his queen and his infant son, 
Aisited France, entered Paris in all the pomp of a rojal prog- 
ress, and dazzled the Parisians with the wealth, po^^■er, and 
triumph of then' future sovereigns. Henry V. carried on 
that persecution of the Wiclifhtes which his father began, 
and treated them with inexcusable severity. Sir John Old- 
castle, Lord Cobham, Avas bm-ned in St. Giles's Fields for liis 
leaning toAvards the Protestant faith, and was the fii'st among 
the English nobility who suffered the extreme penalty of the 
law for his reHgious opinions. Linen shu'ts and under-clothing 
were at the time esteemed great luxuries, and a flock bed, 
■with a chaff bolster, was a refinement of comfort known only 
to the wealthiest. From the reign of Henry V. may also be 
dated the custom of Hghting the streets of London at night, 
since it was at his command that every citizen was compelled 
to hang a lantern on his door during the v.inter months. 
From the same period may also be dated the first estabhsh- 
ment of a permanent naval force : and one ship, built at 
Bayonne expressly for the king, was esteemed quite a marvel 
of size and strength, because it measured one hundred and 

4* 



42 OUTLINES OF 

eighty-six feet in length. Just at the most brilliant epoch 
in his career, died Henry V., in 1422, at the early age of 
thu'ty-four. 

Henry VI. 

BEGAN TO REIGN A. D. 1422. PERIOD OF DEATH UNCERTAIN. 

HI. Henry VI., son to the late king, was only nine 
months old at the death of his father ; whereupon the Dukes 
of Bedford and Gloucester were made protectors during the 
regal minority, the former for France and the latter for Eng- 
land. In this reign, Charles VH., the Dauphin of France, be- 
ing supported by the French people, attempted to recover his 
kingdom. A village girl, from a remote part of Champagne, 
fancied herself divinely inspired, placed herself at the head 
of the French army, and by dint of undaunted courage and 
patriotism, won victory after victory, and crowned the French 
king at the city of Rheims, (A. D. 1429.) Being taken pris- 
oner after this by the Enghsh, they were cowardly enough to 
burn her at the stake. This girl is known in history as Joan 
of Arc, the Maid of Orleans. 

IV. Thus by degrees the French ivrested back their coun- 
try from the English, and in a few years Calais alone re- 
mained a dependency of the state. In the midst of these 
losses, the troubles of a disputed succession again threatened 
the safety of the young and feeble sovereign, (A. D. 1450,) 
and the house of York, represented by Duke Richard, fo- 
mented insurrections among the people. In the battles of 
St. Albans and Northampton, the Lancastrians were defeated, 
and Henry was taken prisoner ; but Queen Margaret^ hav- 
ing raised a large army, gained the battle of Wakefield 
Green, (A. D. 1460,) and the Duke of York was defeated and 
slain. 

V. At this period the Earl of Warwick (called the " King- 

^ Henrj'^ II. married Margaret of Anjou, a woman of keen penetration, 
undaunted spirit, and great beauty. She fought twelve pitched battles in 
her husband's cause. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 43 

maker ") took up the cause of young Edward, son to the 
late Duke of York, imprisoned Henry in the Tower of Lon- 
don, and fixed Edward upon the throne, under the title of 
Kins: Edward IV. ' Still the civil wars continued unabated. 
The Yorkists bore a white rose for their emblem, and the 
Lancastrians fought under the ensign of a red one. Hence 
these contests are generally styled the " Wars of the Roses." 
The date of Henry's death is uncertain ; but it is said that 
the king's brother, Richard of Gloucester, murdered him in 
his chamber at the Tower. 

VI. In this reign the right of voting at elections for 
knights of the shire was Hmited to freeholders possessed of 
estates to the annual value of forty shillings. Seats in the 
Commons were not, however, much sought by the middle 
classes of the fifteenth century. The functions of the Com- 
mons consisted chiefly in the imposition of taxes, and even 
the Lords of that period evinced little interest or assiduity in 
the dischai'ge of then* parliamentary duties. Both houses 
enjoyed entire Hberty of speech. Eton College, and King's 
College, Cambridge, were foimded about A. D. 1440. Coffee 
w^as imported fr'om Arabia, and the art of wood engra\ing 
borrowed from the Germans. In 1450 the first Lord 
Mayor's Show took place, and the same year was signalized 
by the famous insurrection in Kent, headed by one Jack Cade, 
who, under the assumed name of Mortimer, asserted a ficti- 
tious right to the English throne, but was defeated and killed 
at Sevenoaks, by Alexander Iden, sheriff of Kent. 

Edward IV. 

BEGAX TO REIGN A. D. 1461. DIED 1483. 

VII. King Edward TV. was a very handsome, but a veiy 
capricious and tyrannical sovereign. He married Lady Eliza- 

^ The houses of York and Lancaster were both descended from Edward 
III., that of York from his third son, and that of Lancaster from his fourth : 
the rightful title was, therefore, on the side of the former. 



44 , OUTLINES OF 

beth Grey, daughter to Sir Richard Wood^ille, and widow of 
Sir John Grey. This is the first mstance, since the Conquest, 
of an English king being married to a subject. The circum- 
stance gave great ofience to the Earl of Warwick, who re- 
belled in consequence. By his exertions Edward was 
deposed, and Henry, after ha^dng been a prisoner six years in 
the Tower, was released, and again proclaimed king ; but at 
the battle of Barnet (A. D.. 1471) Edward prevailed and 
Warwick was slain. Edward died (A. D. 1483) just as he 
was preparing for a war with France, and left his infant sons, 
Edward V. and Bichard, Duke of York, to the guardianship 
of his wily and ambitious brother, Bichard, Duke of Glouces- 
ter. This prince, seeing but these children between himself 
and the sceptre, had them conveyed to the Tower, and there 
murdered. He was acknowledged king in 1483, six months 
after the death of his brother, Edward IV. 

Vin. During the reign of Edward IV., the first printing 
press was set up in England, by William Caxton, (A. D. 1471,) 
and polite literature was encouraged among the English. 

Richard III. 

BEGAJSr TO REIGN A. D. 1483. DIED 1485. 

IX. Richard III., during a short reign of two years, 
committed such atrocious deeds as have left him the blackest 
reputation of any sovereign upon the records of English his- 
tory. Not only did he murder his young nephews, but he 
put to death his brother, the Duke of Clarence, the generous 
Lord Hastings, the unfortunate Jane Shore, and his owti 
friend and ally the Duke of Buckingham. The Earl of 
Richmond, a wise and brave nobleman, related to the house 
of Lancaster by the marriage of his father, Edmund Tudor, 
to Margaret, the great granddaughter of John of Gaunt, 
asserted his claim to the crovra of England, (A. D. 1485,) 
assembled a small army of about two thousand persons, 
which became speedily augmented to three times that num- 



ENGLISH HISTUKY. 45 

ber, came over from Normandy, landed on the Welsh coast, 
and drew up his forces near Bosworth Field. On the 22d 
of August, 1485, he was met by King Richard, who fell in 
the thickest of the fight, and Richmond received the crown 
upon the battle field, in the presence of his army, which sa- 
luted him as King Hemy VII. Thus ended the ci\il wars 
which had convulsed England for more than forty years, and 
the royalty of the houses of Lancaster and York. 

During the reign of these two families, (a period of nearly 
one hundred years,) art, civilization, and science had made 
very considerable progress. Music was much cultivated, es- 
pecially by the clergy ; pamting met mth the most earnest 
encouragement, and was employed in the universal decoration 
of the chm'ches ; books, though still very expensive, became 
purchasable by others than the most wealthy, in consequence 
of the invention of printing ; many of the most esteemed 
colleges and public schools date their foundation from this 
period; the language became more refined, and received 
something like a standard in the works of Gower, Chaucer, 
and others; and the style of architecture, raised on the 
crumbHng ruins of the feudal castles, rose into a stately and 
beautiful order of ornamental building known as the perpen- 
dicular Gothic. The ci\il wars of this period, however, op- 
erated fatally upon the efforts of agricultural science. Many 
prosperous and pleasant dwellings throughout England were 
laid waste, and witliin twelve miles' range of Warwick alone, 
sixty villages are stated to have been enth-ely destroyed. 

QUESTIONS TO CHAPTER IV. 

I. "What caused the sorrows duct on succeeding to the 
of King Henry IV.? AVhat throne? What was the great 
was the conduct of the Prince event of this reign ? When 
of Wales ? What sect did were the battles of Harfleur and 
Henry IV. persecute, and who Agincourt fought ? To whom 
was the first aristocratic victim ? was Henry V. married ? When 
What customs were introduced did he die, and at what age ? 

in this reign ? When did the III. How old was Henry VI. 

king die, and at what age ? at the time of his father's death ? 

II. What was the king's con- What loss did England sustain 



46 



OUTLINES OF 



during this reign ? Relate the 
history of Joan of Arc. 

IV. What part of the French 
territory alone remained at- 
tached to the English crown ? 
What new troubles threatened 
the safety of the young king ? 
What was the fate of the Duke 
of York ? When was the bat- 
tle of Wakefield Green fought ? 

V. _Who was the Earl of 
Warwick, and what measures 
did he take against Henry VI. ? 
What were the emblems of the 
two parties ? What was the 
manner of King Henry's death ? 

VI. Relate the condition of 
the Houses of Lords and Com- 
mons at this time. What 
schools were founded, and what 
improvements introduced ? Who 
was Jack Cade ? 

VII. What was the character 
of King Edward IV. ? Whom 
did he marry, and what became 
of the Earl of Warwick ? When 
did he die? What became of 



his two infant sons ? When 
was the Duke of Gloucester ac- 
knowledged king ? 

VIII. What signal event 
happened in this reign ? 

IX. For how long did Rich- 
ard III. reign, and what reputa- 
tion has he left behind him? 
Who were the victims of his 
cruelty and ambition ? What 
was the lineage of the Earl of 
Richmond ? What was the size 
of his army, and from what 
country did he come over to 
claim the crown ? In what year 
did he land, and where di-aw up 
his forces ? WTiat was the re- 
sult of the battle of Bosworth ? 
When was it fought ? How long 
had the civil wars raged in Eng- 
land ? 

X. Relate the improvements 
which had now taken place in 
the arts, sciences, architecture, 
and civilization of England. 
What was the effect of the civil 
wars on agriculture ? 



CHAPTER V. 
THE HOUSE OF TUDOR. 



Began to reign. Died. 
HenuT Vn. A. D. 1485 , . . 1509. 
Henry VIII. " 1509 . . . 1547. 

Edward VI. " 1547 . . . 1553. 



Mary 
Eliz.\beth 



Began to reign. Died. 

A. D. 1553 . . . 1558. 

« 1558 . . . 1603. 



Henry YH. 

began to reign a. d. 1485. died 1509. 
I. Henry VH. was the first representative of the noble 
house of Tudor.^ His reign was signalized by the appearance 
of two remarkable impostors, namely, Lambert Simnel and 



» Henry VII. was the son of Margaret, great granddaughter of John of 
Gaunt, and of Edmund Tudor. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Edward 
IV., and in this way the houses of York and Lancaster were united. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 47 

Perkin Warbeck. Lambert Simnel was the son of a baker, and 
(being trained purposely for the character) was placed at the 
head of an insurrection at Nottingham, and proclaimed to be 
the son of the late Duke of Clarence, and heir to the throne. 
A sanguinary battle took place (A. D. 1487) between the 
rebels and the king's army, in which the former were dis- 
persed, and the pretender taken prisoner. He was pardoned 
by Henry, and afterwards filled the situation of scullion in 
the royal kitchen. Perldn Warbeck's appearance and educa- 
tion were more favorable to deception. He was reported to 
be the little Duke of York who was murdered with his 
brother in the Tower. King James IV. of Scotland became 
one of his supporters ; his standard was joined by many of 
the highest noblemen m the kingdom ; he assumed the title 
of Richard HI. of England, and even obtained the hand of 
the Lady Gordon in marriage. He was, however, taken 
prisoner, (A. D. 1499,) thi'own into the Tower, and executed 
publicly. 

n. Notwithstanding these rebellions, Henry "VU. was a 
prudent, wise, and merciful sovereign. He abridged the sec- 
ular power of the pope, extended the privileges of the peo- 
ple, promoted trade and commerce with other nations, and 
rendered Englishmen powerful and happy. Dming his 
reign, Columbus, under the patronage of Isabella, Queen of 
Spain, made the discovery of America, (A. D. 1492.) John 
and Sebastian Cabot also discovered Newfoundland in 1497, 
and afterwards a considerable portion of North America.^ 

1 During the reign of Henry VII., and the half century preceding it, the 
great movement of the age was in maritime discovery. Columbus offered 
his services to Portugal, but they were rejected; he then made application, 
through his brother Bartholomew, to Henry VII., of England, for aid ; 
but Bartholomew was so long upon his journey, that he did not return to 
Spain until Columbus had returned from his first voyage, (A. D. 1493.) 
Henry YII., eager to profit by the discovery which Columbus had made, 
authorized John Cabot, a Venetian, then belonging to Bristol, and his son 
Sebastian, to start an expedition at their own expense, in order to do what 
they could for themselves, and, at the same time, to set up the banners of 



48 OUUTLINES OF 

Sebastian Cabot published the first map of the world wliich 
included both hemispheres. Vasco di Gama, a Portuguese, 
first doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and made the passage 
to India by sea in 1497/ Maps and sea charts were now 
brought to England ; shillings were coined ; the yeomen of 
the guard were appointed for the safety and honor of the 
kmg's person ; the arbitrary court of law known as the Star 
Chamber,^ was first established ; and Henry VH.'s chapel was 
built at Westminster Abbey — a work considered to be the 
most perfect specimen of Tudor architecture now extant. 
Henry VH. died in 1509, having lived fifty-two years, and 
reigned twenty-three. He was succeeded by his son Henry 
VHI. 

Henky VIII. 

BEGAN TO REIGN A. D. 1509. DIED 1547. 

III. Henry VIIL, young, afiable, handsome, and popular, 
ascended the English throne at eighteen years of age. Dur- 
ing the first year of his reign, he married with Catharine of 
Arragon, and threatened an invasion of France, which, how- 
ever, came to nothing. Soon after this, he became the ,firm 
friend of Thomas Wolsey, then dean of Lincoln, a man of 
great ambition and talent, who had risen from the middle 
rank of life, and who was afterwards promoted to the high 
dignity of a cardinalship. When the king had been married 
eighteen years, he fell in love with Anna Boleyn, one of the 
maids of honor attending upon the queen. In order to effect 
a marriage with her, he divorced Queen Catharine in 1532, 
who died of grief shortly after, and he even defied Pope 

the English monarch, as his vassals and deputies. The discovery made by 
the Cabots was the foundation of the claim of the English to their posses- 
sions ih North America, 

1 Previous to this time, the merchandise of India was conveyed to Eu- 
rope by way of the Red Sea, thence over land to the Mediterranean.. 

2 The Star Chamber was an arbitrary court of law, in which the king 
«sed to attend in person as judge. It was called the Star Chamber from the 
name of the room in which the court held its sittings. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 49 

Clement VII. for refusing to sanction his proceedings. This 
step led to the Refoeimatiox/ 

IV. Having declared open opposition to the church of 
Rome, Henry proceeded to make the most cruel enactments 
against Papists ; to demolish the monasteries and convents 
scattered by hundreds throughout his dominions ; to tm-n the 
religious communities abroad into the world ; and to pour 
into his oa^ti treasuries the wealth which had been accumu- 
lating in the clerical coffers for a thousand years. Dreadful 
persecutions ensued; men were hanged, bm-ned, and be- 
headed, for not believing as he desired ; and brave old Sir 
Thomas More and Bishop Fisher were executed (A. D. 1535) 
for denying his royal supremacy. Even Cardinal Wolsey 
was degraded, and arrested for high treason, but died before 
any further steps could bfe taken against him, having ex- 
claimed, in the pangs of remorse, " Had I but served God as. 
dihgently as I have served the king, he would not have given 
me over in my gray haii's." 

V. Hem-y's next step was to behead Anna BolejTi, and 
marry the Lady Jane Seymour, (A. D. 1536,) who died in 
giving birth to a son. He then entered into an alliance with, 
the Princess Ann of Cleves, to whom, however, he took an 
intense aversion ; and, having put her aside, married Cath- 
arine Howard, niece to the Dul?.e of Norfolk. This lady he 
beheaded in 1542, and then gave his hand, for the last time, 
to Lady Catharine Parr, widow of the late Lord Latimer. 
This wife alone contrived to retain the tyrant's affection, and, 
not being either divorced or beheaded, had the happiness to 
survive him. 

VI. The last victims to the caprices of this cruel monarch 
were the Duke of Norfolk, and his son, the Earl of Surrey, 
a young man who excelled in all the accomplishments of a 

1 Before Henry had arrived at the age of thirty, he had written a hook 
against Luther, the reformer, which pleased the pope so much that he cim- 
ferred on him the title of " Defender of the Faith," a title which his succes- 
sors have ever since retained. 

5 



50 OUTLINES OF 

scholar, a soldier, and a courtier, and who ranks among the 
early English poets. Both were accused of high treason. 
Surrey's head fell upon Tower Hill. (A. D. 1547;) but the 
life of his father was providentially saved by the death of the 
king, which happened on the evening of the day before that 
appointed for his -execution. 

No king ever violated the rights of Englishmen, or the 
fundamental liberties specified in Magna Charta, more fla- 
grantly than King Henry VHI. Upon life he placed no 
value, and for law he entertained no reverence. He even ex- 
acted a bill from his slavish Parhament by which the written 
edict of the sovereign was elevated to the level of a legal 
statute — a measure which rendered the crown absolutely 
despotic, and vested in the hands of the king the honor, 
safety, and wealth of the entire nation. During this reign, 
many important discoveries were made, literature much ad- 
vanced, and considerable progress effected in general knowl- 
edge. St. Paul's school was founded in 1510; the College 
of Physicians established in 1518; Whitehall and St. James's 
Palace were built; Mexico was conquered by Cortez, and 
Peru by Pizarro; Wolsey commenced building Hampton 
Court Palace, and Christchurch, Oxford ; ship building was 
improved, and the navy extended; the corporation of the 
Trinity House was instituted ; the office of secretary of state 
was created by government; the society of Jesuits was 
founded by Ignatius Loyola, (A. D. 1535 ;) Wales was for 
the first time represented in Parliament ; classical literature 
was extensively cultivated among the higher classes of both 
sexes ; and Erasmus, a learned native of Holland, was elected 
professor of Greek at the University of Oxford, and contrib- 
uted much by his presence and attainments towards the ad- 
vancement of education in England. In this reign, the first 
lord high admiral was appointed, in the person of Sir James 
Howard ; the whole of the Bible was translated into Eng- 
lish in 1539 ; the church Prayer Book, and the Articles of 
Religion were arranged by Bishop Cranmer, in 1540 ; cher- 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 51 

ries, hops, apricots, pippins, and various other kinds of fruit 
and vegetables were first cultivated in England ; cotton thread 
Avas invented ; leaden conduits, for the conveyance of water, 
were substituted for the wooden ones which had previously 
been in use; pins were introduced from France by Queen 
Catharine Howard, and were then a very expensive luxury. 
Before this time, ribbons, loopholes, laces with tags, hooks 
and eyes, and skewers of brass, silver, and gold, had been 
used alike by men and women. The term " pin money," as 
applied to the income allowed by husband to vdfe, is dated 
back to this period, and refers to the heavy expenses incurred 
by the pm'chase of this extravagant article of attire. A 
pound sterling was fijrst called a sovereign durmg the reign 
of Henry VHI. ; and provisions were so cheap, that beef and 
mutton were purchased at the rate of one halfpenny per 
pound. The value of precious metals, however, was very 
low, and a pound, at the time of the conquest, would buy 
twelve times as much as at the present day. 

Edward YI. 

began to reign a. d. 1547. died 1553. 

VIL King Edward VI., son of Henry VHI. by Jane 
Seymour, ascended the throne in 1547, being then nine 
years of age. The Duke of Somerser was appointed pro- 
tector till the king should attain his majority. He was, how- 
ever, supplanted and executed by the bold and ambitious 
Dulte of Northumberland, who persuaded Edward to transfer 
the succession to his cousin Lady Jane Grey, instead of suf- 
fering it to devolve, as it should, Upon his eldest sister, Mary. 
Lady Jane Grey was the wife of Northumberland's son, Lord 
Guildford Dudley. Shortly after this decision, tltfe king's 
health declined ; and when he died of consumption in 1553, 
in the sixteenth year of his age, there were not wanting 
tongues among the people to attribute his loss to the machi- 
nations of the protector. He was amiable, highly accom- 
plished, and dearly loved by his subjects. 



52 OUTLINES OP 

No religious persecution was suffered during his reign, and 
a law was passed by which Protestant clergymen were per- 
mitted to marry. The book of Psalms was also translated 
into verse, by Sternhold and Hopkins ; the book of Homi- 
lies was compiled by Cranmer and Ridley ; and a new code 
of Articles was drawn up, to the number of forty-two, from 
which the Thirty-nine Articles of the established church now 
in use were afterwards compiled. Christ's Hospital and St. 
Thomas's Hospital were founded, as well as many other 
charitable institutions, grammar schools, alms houses, &c., 
throughout all parts of the kingdom. Grapes were brought 
over from France, and cultivated in England for the first 
time; crowns, half crowns, and sixpences were introduced 
into the currency ; and a dreadful plague, called the sweating 
sickness, which had hitherto been prevalent from time to 
time, became totally extinct. Trade with Kussia was for the 
first time opened during the reign of King Edward VI. 

Mart I. 

BEGAN TO EEIGN A. D. 1553. DIED 1558. 

Vin. Mary I., eldest daughter of King Henry VIE. by 
Catharine of Arragon, next received the crown, after a brief 
contest of only ten days with Lady Jane Grey and her sup- 
porters. She inaugurated her cruel reign with the death of 
the unfortunate young pair, Dudley and Lady Jane Grey. 
Her next step was to marry Philip H. of Spain, A. D. 1554, 
who cared little for her affection, and left her, as soon as pos- 
sible, for his native country. 

IX. The most tremendous and fearful persecutions were 
now directed against the reformers.- The Bishops of London, 
Worcester, and Gloucester, and even Archbishop Cranmer, 
were condemned to the flames ; and it is computed that dur- 
ing this reign of terror, which lasted between four and five 
years, no less than two hundred and seventy-seven human 
beings were frightfully sacrificed. Mary died in 1558, uni- 
versally abhorred. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 53 

Coaches were introduced in this reign, before which time 
ladies used to be carried in litters, or rode on pillions behind 
their mounted squires. Flax and hemp were fii'st cultivated, 
the use of starch was discovered, and the manufacture of 
drinking glasses began to be encouraged in England. 

Elizabeth, 
began to reign a. d. 1558. died 1603. 

X. Elizabeth, a Protestant princess, and daughter of 
King Henry VIII. and Queen Anna Boleyn, succeeded to the 
throne. Had she reHeved the whole nation from capti\ity 
and chains, the deHrium of joy mth which all classes hailed 
the accession of Queen Elizabeth could scarcely have been 
greater. The first act sanctioned by her authority was the 
formal restoration of the Protestant religion ; and m a single 
session of ParHament the articles of faith were estabHshed, 
freedom of thought secured, the acts of her sister abohshedj 
and Protestantism forever constituted the religion of England. 

XI. In the year 1587, EHzabeth tarnished the glory of 
her reign by signing the death warrant of Mary Queen of 
Scots, who had fallen into her power, and was imprisoned for 
many years in Fotheringay Castle.^ The obloquy of this deed 
was effaced shortly after from the minds of the people by the 
glorious defeat of the " In\-incible Ai'mada " sent out against 
England by Philip II. of Spain, under the command of the Duke 
de Medina Sidonia. Against this floating army, consisting of 
twenty thousand soldiers in one hundi-ed and thirty galleons, 
Queen Elizabeth sent forth thirty small sailing vessels, com- 

1 Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, was the daughter of Mary of Guise, Queen 
Eegent of Scotland, and granddaughter of Henry VII., and was the next 
heir to Elizabeth to the throne of England. She was educated in France 
as a Catholic, and married when quite young to the dauphin, who afterwards 
became Francis II., King of France. They then assumed the title of King 
and Queen of England. 

On the death of Francis, Mary, at the age of eighteen years, returned to 
Scotland, to reign for that country as queen. At this time the reformed 

5* 



54 OUTLINES OF 

manded by Admirals Effingham, Drake, Hawkins, and Frob- 
isher, (A. D. 1588.) Just as the Channel was covered by the 
hostile sail, a tremendous storm came on. The Spanish fleet 
got into disorder. The EngHsh navy rushed upon them, and 
poured in their batteries from every side. Two great three 
deckers were taken, and twelve smaller ones ; flight, destruc- 
tion, or submission alone was left to the rest, and of all that 
mighty armament commissioned to subdue Old England, only a 
miserable remnant escaped to carry back the tidings of defeat. 

Xn. The career of this famous queen presents other 
glories, very different, but equally splendid. During her 
reign the poets Spenser and Raleigh wrote and flourished ; 
Lord Bacon, the philoso])her and historian, lived ; and Shak- 
speare, the immortal poet and dramatist, whose works are the 
glory of English literature, wrote some of his finest plays, 
surviving the queen by thirteen years. 

XIII, The act of supremacy, passed at the commence- 
ment of Elizabeth's reign, was the greatest mistake of this 
sovereign's career. Devised for the purpose of crushing the 
Homan Catholic influence, this act compelled all clergymen, 
and persons holding office under the crown, to take an oath 



religion, under John Knox, had made great progress in Scotland, and the 
people were therefore greatly opposed to Mary. She married for her second 
husband her cousin Henry Stuart, (Lord Darnley.) but soon grew tired of 
him. Mary gave birth to a son, who afterwards became James VI. of Scot- 
land and James I. of England. In less than two years Darnley was mur- 
dered, and Mary soon after married the Earl of Bothwell, who was suspected 
of being the murderer. 

Such guilty unions seldom prosper ; they had lived together but a few 
weeks, when the nobles rose against both her and her husband for the pro- 
tection of the young prince. Bothwell fled abroad, and soon died, ^yhile 
Mary Avas taken a prisoner, and confined in the Castle of Lochleven. She 
was compelled to resign the crown to her infant son, who was proclaimed 
James VI., and the Earl of Murray was appointed regent. 

In less than a year Mary escaped from her prison, and fled to England, to 
ask the assistance of Elizabeth ; but she did not obtain it. After being 
kept a prisoner in Fotheringay Castle for more than eighteen years, she 
was accused of being an accessory to a conspiracy against Elizabeth, tried, . 
condemned, and beheaded, In the forty-fifth year of her age. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 55 

abjuring not only the temporal, but even the spiritual author- 
ity of every foreign prince or prelate, and acknowledging the 
sovereign as the head of the church, with rights derived from 
God. This act was followed by the act of conformity, 
which prohibited all persons from attending the ministrations 
of aay clergyman not belonging to the established church. 
The lamentable consequences may be readily imagined : 
hundreds suffered death, imprisonment, and persecution, in 
this and following reigns, through the operation of these 
arbitrary statutes. 

XIV. The naval power of England, w^hich had been 
gradually extending ever since the time of Henry V., con- 
tinued still to be the chief care and ambition of the gov- 
ernment. Noble and scientific men pressed eagerly forward 
to join in expeditions for the discovery of unlmown countries. 
Sir Francis Drake made a three years' voyage round the 
world, and was the first Enghshman who accompHshed the 
circumnavigation of the globe. He brought potatoes irom 
North America, and planted them in Lancashire. Tobacco 
was first brought to this country by Sir John Hawkins, 
(A. 1). 1565.) Tea was introduced by the Dutch. Pocket 
watches were brought over fi'om Nm-emberg, in Germany. 
Silk stocldngs were worn for the first time by the queen, 
cloth hose having previously been in use. The art of 
paper making from linen rags was begun at Dartford, by Sir 
John Speilman, a German, (A. D. 1590.) Telescopes were 
invented by one Jansen, a spectacle maker at Middleburgh, 
in Holland. Decimal arithmetic was discovered by Simon 
Stevin, a scholar of Bruges. The ItaHan method of book- 
keeping was tauglit in England by James Peele, whose book on 
the subject is yet extant. Knives were first made in England 
A. D. 1563, and were the earliest branch of domestic cutlery, 
being manufactured by one Matthews, of Fleet Bridge, Lon- 
don. In the month of July, 1588, when the invasion of the 
Armada was impending, the first EngKsh newspaper v/as pub- 
lished, under the title of The English Mercurie. A copy of 



56 OUTLINES OF 

this journal is preserved in the Hbrary of the British Muse- 
um. In 1556, the Royal Exchange was built by Sir Thomas 
Gresham. In 1590, Westminster School was founded by the 
queen ; and Rugby School was founded by L. Sheriffe. 
Mercantile transactions were now carried on upon a more 
liberal and extensive scale ; the whale and cod fisheries were 
estabhshed ; Birmingham and Sheffield became the centre 
of hardware manufactures, and Manchester of cotton and 
stocking weaving ; theatrical representations became the 
popular amusements of the people ; art was encouraged by 
the nobility, and Hans Holbein, the portrait painter, was 
patronized by the queen. In the fifth year of Elizabeth's 
reign, the poor laws were enacted, and the population of 
London averaged one hundred and sixty thousand souls. 
The Bodleian Library was formed at this time, the East 
India Company organized, and attempts were made to colo- 
nize North America.^ 

XV. In 1603 Queen Elizabeth died, much beloved by 
the English people, and to this day revered as the restorer 
of peace, the patroness of learning, the protectress of religious 
liberty, and the upholder of the great English name through 
all the kingdoms of Europe. With her terminated the house 
of Tudor. 

QUESTIONS TO CHAPTER V. 

I. "What remarkable impos- reign? Name the other discov- 
tm-es signalized this reign? eries of great navigators. What 
Relate the story of Lambert signal improvements and inven- 
Simnel. Relate the story of tions took place at this time ? 
Perkin Warbeck. What building is considered the 

II. What was the character most perfect" specimen of its 
of Henry VII. ? In what way order now extant ? When did 
did he contribute to the happi- he die, and at what age ? By 
ness of his people ? What great whom was he succeeded ? 
discovery was made during his III. What was the character 

1 During the reigns of Henry VIIT., Edward VI, and Mary, England had 
been so much distracted by internal dissensions, that no efforts were made to 
avail themselves by colonization of the discoveries made in North America 
by Cabot. Soon after the accession of Elizabeth, however, public attention 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 



57 



of Henry Till, at eighteen 
years of age ? What events 
took place in the first year of 
his reign ? Who was Thomas 
Wolsey ? What led to the royal 
divorce ? What great reUgious 
movement did this circumstance 
lead to ? 

IV: What were the enact- 
ments of Henry VIII. regarding 
Papists ? What svas the nature 
of the church persecutions ? 
What great men were degraded 
and punished in consequence ? 

V. What ■svas Henry's next 
matrimonial step ? Name his 
third, fourth, fifth, and sixth 
wives. Why was the last the 
most fortunate ? 

VI. Who were the last vic- 
tims of. King Henry's caprices ? 
What was the fate of Surrey, 
and what was his reputation ? 
How was the life of the Duke 
of Norfolk spared? In what 
way did Henry VIII. render his 
power despotic ? What great 
buildings were erected at this 



time, and what important ad- 
vances made in literature and 
general knowledge ? What fruits 
were introduced, and what im- 
provements effected, in the me- 
tropolis ? Relate the history of 
pins. 

VII. In what year did Ed- 
ward VI. succeed to the crown, 
and what was his age ? Who 
was appointed protector, and 
what was his fate ? To what 
act was the king influenced by 
the Duke of Northumberland ? 
Who was Lady Jane Grey ? 
When did the king's health first 
begin to decline, and what was 
the popular opinion respecting 
the manner of his death ? When 
did Edward VI. die, and at what 
age ? What important law was 
passed respecting Protestant 
clergymen ? What religious 
works were compiled? What 
benevolent institutions were 
founded ? What branch of 
trade Avas opened abroad ? 

VIII. For how long did Lady 



■was directed to this subject ; and early in 1579 Sir Humphrey Gilbert, a 
brother-in-law of Sir Walter Raleigh, having obtained a patent, made two 
unsuccessful voyages, in the last of which his vessel was shipwrecked, and 
all on board perished. Not discouraged by the unfortunate issue of the 
enterprises of Gilbert, Raleigh obtained a new patent from Elizabeth, (A. D. 
1584,) and despatched two small vessels to the American coast, under the 
command of Amidas and Barlow. On their return to England they gave 
so splendid a description of the beauty and fertility of the countrj^ that 
Elizabeth bestowed iipon it the name of Yirginia, as a memorial that the 
discovery had been made under a virgin queen. 

The report brought back by them induced Sir Walter, in 1585, to attempt 
to form a settlement at Roanoke Island. This colony was reduced to great 
distress, and in 1586 returned with Sir Francis Drake to England. The 
following year, however, another colony was sent out, consisting of one 
hundred and fifty adventurers ; but they wei-e neglected in respect to sup- 
plies, and when, at length, a vessel was sent to inquire into their state, nut 
a vestige of them remained. 

In 1602, Bartholomew Gosnold made a voyage to New England, and 
visited Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and the Elizabeth Islands. 
Upon one of the latter he attempted to form a settlement, but without 
success. 



58 



OUTLINES OF 



Jane Grey contest the crown, 
and what was her fate and that 
of her husband ? Who was 
Mary I. ? With whom did she 
marry ? 

IX. Relate the persecutions 
levelled at the Protestants in 
this reign. How many souls 
perished by fire } When did 
Mary die, and how was she 
liked by the people ? Relate the 
social improvements effected 
during this reign ? 

X. What reception did Eliza- 
beth meet with ? What was the 
first act of her reign ? 

XI. What was the end of 
Mary, Queen of Scots, and when 
was she executed ? What great 
victory effaced the memory of 
this deed ? What was the com- 
parative sea strength of Spain 
and England ? What was the 
result of the expedition ? 

XII. What great men flour- 
ished in the reign of Queen 
Elizabeth ? What valuable in- 
strument was invented .? What 
influential company received its 
charter } How many years did 
Shakespeare survive Queen Eliz- 
abeth .? 

XIII. For what purpose was 
the act of supremacy devised, 
and of what nature was it ? 
Relate the results of its opera- 
tion. 

XIV. What progress was 



made by England as a naval 
power, and in what way did men 
of education evince their eager- 
ness to advance knowledge ? 
Who was the first Englishman 
that circumnavigated the globe ? 
What vegetables were intro- 
duced in this reign, and by 
whom? Who first carried to- 
bacco to England } Relate the 
inventions which took place at 
this time with regard to dress, 
paper, telescopes, and watches ? 
Who invented decimal arith- 
metic ? When were knives first 
made in England? What was 
the name of the first English 
newspaper ? What great public 
institutions were founded in 
this reign ? What great fisheries 
were established? What par- 
ticular branches of commerce 
were connected with Birming- 
ham, Sheffield, and Manchester? 
When were the first poor laws 
enacted ? What great library 
was formed at this time, and 
what powerful trading com- 
pany organized ? What colony 
was fxrst inhabited during this 
reign ? 

XV. In what year did this 
great queen die ? In what way 
did she contribute to the pros- 
perity of her kingdom ? What 
great royal house terminated at 
her death ? 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 59 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE HOUSE OF STUART. 

Began to reign. Died. 

James I a. d. 1603 a. d. 1625. 

Charuis 1 1625 1649. 

James I. 

BEGAN TO REIGN A. D. 1603. DIED 1625. 

I. King James I. was the son of the unfortunate Maiy, 
Queen of Scots, and, when the sceptre of Elizabeth descended 
to his hands, was reigning at Holyrood, under the title of 
King James VI. of Scotland. At the very commencement 
of his reign, a conspiracy which has never been sufficiently 
cleared up was set on foot by the Lords Grey and Cobham, 
and Sir Walter Raleigh. The two former were pardoned ; 
but Raleigh, the chivalrous poet, was executed in 1618, after 
many ^'ears of confinement. 

II. Two years after the accession of James I., (A. I). 1605,) 
discovery was made of the famous Gunpowder Plot/ a con- 
s])iracy which terrified the whole nation, was designed to 
reestablish the Roman Catholic religion, and would, if suc- 
cessful, have proved the destruction of the King, Lords, and 
Commons of the realm. Many of the traitors associated in 
the enter]Drise were publicly executed ; some died sword in 
hand ; and some received the royal pardon. 

Lord Cecil, the minister of Queen Elizabeth, filled the 
same office mider James up to the period of his death, in 

1 The Gunpowder Plot was projected by Robert Catesby. His object was 
to blow up the King. Lords, and Commons with a mine of gunpowder. Avhen 
they should be assembled at the opening of Parliament. Gathering around 
him a desperate band of conspirators, they hired a cellar directly under the 
House of Lords, put thirty-six barrels of gunpowder in it, and coA^ered 
them over with coals and fagots. Just on the eve of its accomplishment, 
the plot was discovered, and Guy Fawkes. one of th# conspirators, was taken 
with the matches for firing the magazine in his pocket. 



60 OUTLINES OF 

1612,' but from that time the king and his Parliament were 
constantly at variance. He would fain have extended his 
royal prerogative to a point little short of despotism, and 
they were equally resolute to uphold their privileges and 
power. In 1614, Parliament withheld the supplies, because 
James delayed to redress the grievances of which they com- 
plained ; and thus commenced the difficulties which proved 
so fatal to Charles I. In this reign (for the purpose of 
raising money) the king created the title of baronet, and 
sold it for the sum of £1000. Horse races were established 
at Newmarket. The circulation of the blood was discovered 
by Dr. Plarvey, A. D. 1619. The broad silk manufacture 
was introduced. Copper half pence and farthings were coined 
for the first time. Logarithms were introduced by Napier, 
A. D. 1614. Buildings were built of brick ; the authorized 
translation of the Bible, as at present in use, was produced 
under the care of forty-seven divines ; the London New River 
Company was projected by Sir Hugh Middleton ; Homer was 
translated by Chapman ; and the Charterhouse School was 
founded by Mr. T. Sutton, who purchased the vast premises 
from the Duke of Norfolk, A. D. 1611. 

During this reign, were commenced the settlements of 
Virginia and New England. The king granted (A. D. 1606) 
a patent of Virginia to two companies, the London and the 
Plymouth. Under the auspices of the former, the settlement 
of Virginia w^as commenced, (A. D. 1607,) which was the 
first permanent English settlement in the United States. In 
1620, a settlement was commenced at Plymouth, in Massa- 
chusetts, by a band of English Puritans. This sect first 
made their appearance during the reign of Mary. They 
were strenuous advocates of civil and religious liberty, and 
met with great persecution, which induced them to seek 
refuge in America. 

TTT . King James married the Princess Ann of Denmark, 
by whom he had fgm- children. Two alone survived him, 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 61 

namely, Charles, Prince of Wales, and Elizabeth, married to 
Frederic V., elector' palatine of Bavaria, an unfortunate 
prince, whose dominions were confiscated by the emperor 
Ferdinand II., and whose posterity afterwards succeeded to 
the English soyereignty. James I.- died in 1625, at the age 
of fifty-nine. 

Charles I. 

BEGAN TO REIGN A. D. 1625. DIED 1649. 

IV. Charles I. commenced his reig-n mth great ap- 
parent advantages of person, education, and position. He 
found the treasury of the country, however, in an impov- 
erished condition ; and, being rei'used sufficient suppHes 
by the ParKament, laid a heavy and unpopular tax upon 
the people, with the proceeds of which he fitted out a fleet 
for the invasion of Spain. This measure created great dis- 
content ; but instead of being warned by the mm'murs of the 
■nation, Charles was unjust and impolitic enough to persevere, 

and from 1629 to 1636 never called any Parliament, but 
raised money by means of an obsolete statute called the levy 
of ship money. It may be as weU here to explain the nature 
of that tax. 

V. Three years after the king's accession, (A. D. 1628,) 
the Commons, in retm'n for five subsidies, had induced him 
to sign that second great charter of English liberties known 
as the Petition of Right ; by which he bound himself to 
raise no taxes without the consent of ParKament. It was 
therefore in du'ect \iolation of his own treaty, that in 1629 
royal writs were issued to the city of London, and to the 
tOAvns along the coast, exacting a tribute of money for the 
purpose of equipping ships of war for the defence of tlie 
country. At first this step, though productive of much ill 
feeling between the king and the people, was yet tolerated, 
and had some excuse of precedent ; but Charles shortly ven- 
tmred on a stretch of prerogative that no other sovereign, 
however arbitrary, had ever dai-ed to contemplate. He sent 

6 



62 OUTLINES OF 

writs of ship money to the inland counties, where no ship 
had ever been seen, and continued to raise money for the 
defence of his kingdom, at a time when he was at peace with 
all the world. 

VI. The first resistance was offered by John Hampden, a 
gentleman of Buckinghamshire. He refused to pay the rate 
levied upon his estate, and brought the matter to trial, (A. D. 
1636,) with the patriotic resolution of supporting the liberties 
of the people. The result, which it was hoped would affix 
some limit to the power of the sovereign, was anxiously 
awaited by the nation; but Hampden lost his cause, and 
Charles grew more exacting than ever. Many ceremonies 
of Roman Catholic worship were now introduced into the 
church ; Episcopacy was forced upon the Scots, who rebelled 
in consequence ; more rates and levies were wrung from the 
public purse, and the king raised an army, and marched to 
the north, (A. D: 1640,) where, instead of defeating the 
Presbyterians, he ended a feeble campaign by a treaty of 
peace. 

Vn. During the month of Ajiril, in this year, (1640,) 
Charles found himself compelled once more to assemble a 
Parliament ; and this time Hampden took his seat in the 
House of Commons as member for Buckinghamshire, and 
leader of. the opposition party. This Parliament the king 
angrily dissolved, because it was bent upon redressing the 
public grievances. He threw some of the members of the 
House of Commons into prison, exacted ship money more 
rigorously than ever, and even prosecuted the corporation of 
London for their unwillingness to enforce the levies. 

Vni. Again a Parliament was called, (Nov. 1640.) and 
again the opjDOsition, more powerful than ever, with Hamp- 
den, Pym, Holland, and others, at the head of the party, 
stood up to force the king to something like justice and repa- 
ration. By this famous tribunal, great and salutary reforms 
were vigorously carried out. Strafford, who had been created 
earl, lord lieutenant of Ireland, and president of the council 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 63 

of the north, was impeached, \\ath Archbishop Laud, impris- 
oned, and executed. The servile judges and officers of the 
crown were punished, and the king depri^^'ed of arbitrary and 
feudal powers. In fact, it was open war between Charles and 
his people. 

IX. As if blindl)^ led on to his ruin, Charles noM' com- 
mitted an act for which history can fLnnish no parallel, and 
posterity no excuse. Enraged against the opposition, and 
misled by the lenity with Avhich some of the members were 
disposed to treat his measm*es, he went in person to the 
House of Commons, (Jan. 1642,) attended, as far as the 
door, by two hundred halberdiers and armed courtiers, there 
to arrest and seize Lord Kimbolton, Hampden, Hollis, Pym, 
and two other members, whom he had previously impeached 
through his attorney general. Any thing so unprecedented 
as the arrest of members engaged m the exercise of their 
parliamentary duties had never been known ; and though the 
attempt failed, and the members were absent, this act of t}T- 
anny led to extremes which few then could have anticijjated. 

X. Hampden and his friends secreted themselves in the 
city. The Parhament recalled them, and they returned to 
their seats in triumph, accompanied by immense crowds of 
spectators and military, and saluted with salvos of artillery. 
The result was civil war. Charles fled to the north, after 
having sent the queen and Prince of "Wales to a place of 
safety. The nation became divided into two factions, distm- 
guished as Cavaliers and Roundheads, and both parties pre- 
pared for the great struggle. The clergy, the universities^ 
the landed gentry, and a majority of the nobles sided with 
the king. The Romidheads comprised the middle classes of 
England, the merchants, shopkeepers, yeomanry', dissenters, 
parliamentarians, and a formidable minority of the peerage. 

XL Not to dwell too long upon this period of om- sum- 
mary, we will briefly detail the chief events of that deplora- 
ble conflict, which lasted for the space of three years, and 
caused the effusion of so much English blood. The royal 



64 OUTLINES OF 

standard was first erected at Nottingham, August 25, 1642, 
and the first engagement, known as the battle of Edgehill, 
was fought on the" 23d of the October following, when both 
sides claimed the victory. From this time, no great event 
(unless an unimportant advantage gained by Charles at Strat- 
ton) took place till the death of Hampden, at Chalgrave 
Field, June 24, 1643. In 1644, the Roundheads, under Sir 
Thomas Fairfax, signally defeated the royalists mider Prince 
Rupert, at the famous battle of Marston Moor ; and on 
June 14, 1645, was fought the decisive battle of Naseby, in 
Northamptonshire, when the king's army sustained a total 
defeat. Fifty thousand of his soldiers were taken prisoners, 
baggage and cannon were left upon the field, and Charles 
fled to Scotland. By his northern subjects, upon whose pro- 
tection he had throA^m himself, he was basely sold over to the 
English for the sum of £400,000. 

XII. From this moment, the king's doom was sealed. 
He was first imprisoned at Hampton Court, then in Caris- 
brook Castle, then in Hurst Castle, Hampshire, finally in 
Windsor Castle, whence he was brought to London, to go 
through the mockery of a trial at St. James's. By the high 
court of justice he was sentenced to death, and publicly be- 
headed in front of Whitehall Palace, on the 30th Jan., 1649. 
" A great shudder ran through the crowd that saw the deed, 
then a shriek, and then all immediately dispersed." Charles 
was at that time forty-eight years of age, and had reigned 
nearly four and twenty years. 

THE COMMONWEALTH. 
Xni. That extraordinary epoch in English history, known 
as the period of the Commonwealth, ensued. Oliver Crom- 
well, who had distinguished himself as a general in the late 
wars, received the command of the Puritan army in Ireland, 
(A. D. 1653,) and there defeated the royalists with great 
slaughter. Having reduced that country to submission, he 
was next despatched to Scotland, where the Parliament had 
espoused the cause of; the Stuarts, and proclaimed Prince 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 65 

Charles their king. Here the stern Roundhead was every 
where invincible; the, Scotch deserted the royal standard. 
When he arrived at Worcester, a great battle was fought on 
the 3d of September, 1651; and the king was forced to 
make his escape to the coast of France. 

XIV. In this manner the authority of the ParHament 
became estabhshed throughout the British dominions. The 
American settlements,^ which had declared for the king, were 
subdued ; Ireland and Scotland silenced ; Jersey, Guernsey, 
Scilly, and the Isle of Man, brought easily under subjection; 
and an mimense empire, rich in fleets and armies, in crown 
lands and ecclesiastical treasm-es, was governed by an assem- 
blage of someT sixty or seventy men, who had taken upon 
themselves to alter the legislatm-e of the state, and to behead 
a great king, and who, in their present position, found them- 
selves holding the foremost place among the sovereign 
powers of Europe. 

XV. Oliver Cromwell, ha\ing entire possession of the 
affection and confidence of the array, and being regarded with 
suspicion and anxiety by the Long ParHament, resolved upon 
what was, perhaps, the boldest step of his life. He went 
with three hundred soldiers to the House of Commons, (A. D. 
1653,) turned out the members, dissolved the assembly, or- 
dered the door to be locked, and put the key in his pocket. 
The next ParHament was called, and consisted entirely of 
ignorant fanatics.^ These men resigned office, (Dec. 12, 1653,) 
and vested the entire administrative power in Cromwell, "vrith 
the title of Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of Eng- 
land. Thus the oppressions of royalty were exchanged for a 
despotic miHtary government. 

1 In Yirginia. the colonists adhered to the cause of the royalists. This 
brought upon them the vengeance of the Parliament, and in 1652 a fleet 
was despatched to reduce them to submission. 

2 One of the members was called, according to the taste of the age, 
Praise God Bareboue. a leather dealer, and from him the Parliament was 
called Barebone's Ptirliament. 

6* 



bb OUTLINES OF 

Oliver Cromwell, 
protectoe, of england from a. d. 1653 to 1658. 

XVI. The Protectorate was inaugurated by a succes- 
sion of brilliant victories, and the recognition of the English 
power in all the courts of Europe. The Dutch were brought 
to sue for peace, (A. D. 1654,) and made to pay an indemni- 
fication of £85,000. Favorable terms subsisted between 
Cromwell and Mazarin, and Dunkirk became a dependency 
of the state. The years 1655 and 1656 saw the great vic- 
tories of the EngHsh fleets, under Admiral Blake, at Algiers, 
Cadiz, and the Canary Islands; and in 1655, Admirals Penn 
and Venables made the conquest of Jamaica. 

XVII. Despite all this prosperity, the Protector's position 
was far from being safe or happy. He was feared and dis- 
trusted on all sides, threatened by numberless conspiracies, 
and a prey to perpetual anxiety. A tertian ague carried him 
off at last, (Sept. 3, 1658,) in the fifty-ninth year of his age, 
and in the ninth of his usm-pation. He appointed his son 
Richard his successor ; but the army, discontented with so 
young and irresolute a leader, com^jelled him to sign his ab- 
dication, and the officers restored the Long ParHament, which 
Cromwell had forcibly dissolved. 

XVIII. This Parliament, however, having offended the 
army, was again dismissed, and General Monk, marching 
from Scotland with eight thousand veterans, (Jan. 1660,) 
compelled the London forces to disperse. A new Parlia- 
ment was then assembled, and the restoration of royalty, in 
the person of the exiled Charles, was proposed and received 
with universal dehght both by the Commons and the people. 
So ended the period of the Commonwealth. 

Among the eminent persons who flourished during the 
Protectorate of Cromwell, was John Milton, the greatest epic 
poet that England has ever produced. He held the situation 
of Latin secretary under Cromv/ell, and was permitted to re- 
tain the emoluments of his office after he had become blind. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 



67 



After the restoration, he was deprived of his office ; and it 
was amid all the distress arising from blindness, age, and pov- 
erty, that Paradise Lost, the most sublime poem which 
adorns any language, was written. 



QUESTIONS TO CHAPTER VI. 



I. To whom did the crown 
descend on the death of Ehza- 
beth ? What coi-ispirac}^ threat- 
ened the coimnencement of 
James's reign, and who were 
the parties concerned in it ? 
What was the fate of Sir W. 
Raleigh ? 

II. Wh"rit was the nature of 
the gunpowder plot, and in what 
year was it discovered ? What 
occasioned the disagreements 
between James and his Parlia- 
ment ? When were the supplies 
withheld ? For what purpose 
was the title of baronet created ? 
What great discovery was made 
by Dr. Harvey ? Relate the in- 
ventions and improvements of 
this reign. By whom was the 
New Ptiver Company projected ? 
Who was Mr. T, Sutton,^ and 
what charity did he found i" 

III. Whom did the king mar- 
ry, and what family had he ? 
In what year did he die, and at 
what age ? 

IV. How did Charles I. com- 
mence his reign ? What means 
did he take to fit out a fleet for 
the invasion of Spain? How 
did he raise money without the 
aid of Parliament, and for how 
long ? 

V. When did Charles sign 
the petition of right, and what 
terms did he therein agree to ? 
When did he issue the writs for 
ship money, and upon what pre- 
tence ? To what unwarrantable 
degree did he extend this exac- 
tion ? 

VI. Who offered the first re- 



sistance ? What was the result 
of Hampden's efforts ? By what 
acts of oppression did Charles 
follow up his success ? 

VII. When did Charles again 
call a Parliament ? How did he 
treat that body ? In what way 
did he insult the corporation of 
London ? 

VIII. In what month of the 
same year did he again call a 
Parliament, and who were the 
leading members of the opposi- 
tion ? What great reforms did 
the Parliament efiect ? 

- IX. What extraordinary piece 
of illegal tyranny did Charles 
next resort to, and when did he 
carry it into effect .' 

X. Where did Hampden and 
his friends take refuge ? In what 
manner did they return to Par- 
liament } What became of the 
king and royal family ? Into 
what well-known factions was 
the nation divided ? Of whom 
did the Cavaliers consist ? What 
classes constituted the Round- 
heads ? 

XI. Where and when was the 
royal standard first erected? 
When was the battle of Edge- 
hill fought ? Where did Hamp- 
den fall ? Relate the event and 
date of the battle of Marston 
Moor. When was the battle of 
Naseby fought, and with what 
result ? What was the conduct 
of the Scotch upon this occa- 
sion ? 

XII. At what places was the 
king successively imprisoned ? 
By what court was he sentenced ? 



68 



OUTLINES OF 



Kelate the circumstances and 
date of his execution. What 
was his age ? How long had he 
reigned ? 

XIII. What period ensued ? 
Who was Oliver Cromwell, and 
when was he sent to Ireland ? 
Why was he next sent to Scot- 
land ? What was the result of 
the battle of Worcester ? 

Xiy. In what countries was 
the authority of the Parliament 
every where established ? What 
was the character and power of 
the Parliament ? 

XV. What bold step did 
Cromwell take ? Of whom did 
the next Parliament consist? 
When was Cromwell raised to 
the supreme power in the state ? 

XYI. Under what auspices 



did the Protectorate commence ? 
In what year were the Dutch 
subdued ? What terms sub- 
sisted between France and Eng- 
land? What were the great 
victories of Admiral Blake, and 
when did they take place ? 
What were the conquests of 
Penn and Venables ? 

XVII. AVas the Protector 
happy ? When did he die, and 
from what cause ? Whom did he 
appoint to succeed him ? What 
steps were taken by the army ? 

XVIII. What became of the 
Parliament ? What was the 
course taken by General Monk ? 
In what way ended the period 
of the Commonwealth ? What 
distinguished poet lived in the 
time of Cromwell ? 



CHAPTER VII. 



THE HOUSE OF STUART, (continued.) 



Charles II. 
James II. . 



to reign. 

'. 1660. 

1685. 



. , Died, 1685. 
Dethroned, 1688. 



Charles IT. 



BEGAN TO REIGN A. D. 1660. DIED 1685. 

I. King Charles II. came to the throne amid' the miiver- 
sal rejoicings of a nation anxious to welcome the restoration 
of royalty. Commencing his reign with clemency and mod- 
eration, he passed an act of universal pardon, (excepting only 
the regicide judges and more furious republicans,) chose his 
first council indiiferently from both loyaHsts and Presbyte- 
rians, and proclaimed entire liberty of opinion among his 
people. The body of Cromwell, however, was dug up, hung 
in chains at Tybiu-n, and buried under the gallows ; but was 
afterwards removed secretly, and re-interred, as some assert, 
in the centre of Red Lion Square. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 69 

II. It was supposed, from this promising beginning, that 
Charles would be found an easy monarch, and that nothing 
affecting the religion or Kberty of the nation need be feared 
at his hands. In this the public was disappointed. Having 
fost of ail disbanded the fine army of the Commonwealth, 
the king began to follow his father's evil example by forcing 
Episcopacy upon the Nonconformists. This step raised an 
outcry of discontent throughout the kingdom ; and in one day, 
about two thousand Presbyterian ministers gave up their ben- 
efices because they would not embrace a new faith ; and now 
the chm-ch of England began to persecute its former perse- 
cutors. 

in. He next declared war with Holland, (A. D. 1665,) 
and sent out an English fleet under the command of his 
brother, James, Duke of York. The ship of Admiral Op- 
dam, the Dutch commander, was blown up, and the victory 
of the English complete. 

IV. In the years 1665 and 1666, London became the scene 
of two fearful calamities, exceeding in horror any that were 
ever known to befall one city within so short a period. A 
mortal plague spread among all classes, and carried off in 
six months more than 100,000 human beings. They were 
buried in great pits dug about the neighborhood of Moorfields 
and Tothill Fields, and every night the dead carts traversed 
the melancholy streets, in which the unaccustomed grass grew 
rankly, and no other traffic now was known. Scarcely had 
this sickness begmi to decline, when a fire, unexampled in 
Em-ope since the destruction of Rome under Nero, " laid in 
ruins the whole city, from the Tower to the Temple, and from 
the river to the purlieus of Smithfield." This conflagration 
destroyed four hundred streets, and thirteen thousand two 
hundred dwelling houses, beside eighty-nine churches, St. 
Paul's Cathedral, the Eoyal Exchange, the Custom House, 
Guildhall,, and many other important public buildings. It 
lasted without intermission for fom- days, and was only stopped 
at last by the blowing up of houses. 



70 OUTLINES OF 

V. Taking advantage of this period of the national weak- 
ness and distress, the Dutch fleet, under command of Admi- 
ral De Ruyter, sailed up the Thames, (A. D. 1667,) and 
burned the ships of war which lay at Chatham. This was the 
first, and happily the last time that the roar of foreign guns 
was heard to echo thi'ough the streets of London. A dis- 
graceful peace was shortly afterwards concluded. 

VI. The great imposition known as the Popish Plot took 
place in 1678. A discreditable character, one Titus Oates, 
constructed a hideous fiction, which he found the nation only 
too ready to believe. He gave out that the Papists were 
preparing for the destruction of London by fire, the assassi- 
nation of the king, and the betrayal of the country into the 
hands of the French. Just at this juncture, the mysterious 
murder of Su' Edmondsbury Godfrey, a Protestant magis- 
trate, lent all the coloring of truth to his assertions. Many 
innocent persons were in consequence arrested and executed, 
and among others the aged and illustrious Earl of Stafford 
fell a victim to calumny, and was beheaded on Tower Hill, 
December 29, 1680. 

Vn. In the year 1679 was passed the habeas corpus act. 
This act, next in importance to Magna Charta, is one of the 
bulwarks of individual safety. So long as the statute remains 
in force, no subject of England can be detained in prison, 
except where such detention is shown to be justified by law. 

VIII. The Lords Shaftesbury and Russell, in conjunction 
with the Duke of Monmouth, the Earl of Essex, Algernon 
Sidney, and others, were discovered (A. D. 1680) to be the 
authors of a treasonable conspiracy, having for its object the 
death of the king. This was the famous Rye House Plot, 
so called from the conspirators' place of meeting. Length- 
ened trials ensued. Monmouth escaped ; Russell, the most 
popular man of his day, was executed in Lincoln's Inn Fields, 
July 21, 1683 ; the Earl of Essex was found with his throat 
cut in his cell at the Tower ; Shaftesbmy absconded to Hol- 
land ; and Sidney suffered the extreme penalty of the law, 
December 7, 1683. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 71 

IX. The king was at this time, (A. D. 1685,) as absolute a 
sovereign as any in Europe ; but his power was destined not 
to be of long duration. Towards the beginning of February, 
1685, he was attacked by what seemed to be a fit of apo- 
plexy, and soon after expired without a struggle. Before 
dying, he received the sacraments of the liomish chm-ch — an 
act which proved that although he had always passed for a 
Protestant king, he cherished another religion in his heart. 
Charles vras fifty-nine years old at the time of his death, and 
had reigned twenty-five years. His character has been thus 
briefly summed up by a modem historian : " Charles was the 
falsest, meanest, memest of mankind." ^ 

James H, 
began to reign a. d. 1685. dethroned 1689. 

X. James II., brother to the late king, had distinguished 
himself as a naval commander, but was unpopular with the 
general public on account of his gloomy temper and the ill 
favor in which his religion was held. He had been brought 
up to the Koman Catholic persuasion, and his first acts were 
to go openly to mass, to sanction the erection of Jesuit col- 
leges, and to establish Roman Catholic bishops. These 
things much displeased the nation ; and so, when the Duke 
of Monmouth (an illegitimate son of the late king) came over 
to England, set up his standard lq Dorsetshhe, and claimed 
the crown, thousands flocked to his aid, and he fomid himself, 
in a very few days, at the head of a considerable army. He 
was defeated at Sedgemore, a tillage near Bridgewater, and 
being hotly pursued, was found concealed in a field, hidden 
among branches of fern, and utterly worn out with hunger 

* During this reign the English colonists in North America were greatly 
increased in numbers ; but they did not escape persecution even in Ameri- 
ca. Several of the governors appointed by the crown had distinguished 
themselves by their oppressive measures ; and in 1683 Charles issued a 
writ withdrawing the several charters. This led to serious difficulties in 
the colonies. 



72 OUTLINES OF 

and fatigue. Despite his supplications for mercy, James was 
inexorable, and the unhappy young man was executed, July 
15, 1685. 

XI. The most savage persecutions followed. Twenty 
prisoners were hung upon the field of battle ; but to the in- 
famous memory of Judge Jeffreys (the most bloodthirsty of 
legal murderers) belong the chief horrors of what has been 
called the Enghsh reign of terror. Hundreds of victims, old 
and young, were sacrificed for having been impKcated in the 
rebellion 5 and in Scotland people were hanged and drowned 
for refusing to repeat the Creed. The English fleet mutinied 
because James had ordered mass to be read on board the 
vessels, and the Bishop of London was suspended from office. 

XII. The king next issued a proclamation of entire liberty 
of conscience to his subjects — a proceeding which, although 
it bore a fair appearance, was known to be solely put forward 
for the favoring of Roman Catholicism. Seven bishops of 
the church of England undertook to deliver a remonstrance 
to the king, especially concerning that clause of his proclama- 
tion in which he desired that it should be read in all the 
churches upon the conclusion of divine service. For this 
courageous resistance, the bishops were arrested and thrown 
into thQ Tower, (June 29, 1688 ;) but, being acquitted upon 
their trial, were regarded as the sa\dours of the Protestant 
reKgion, and were met every where by rejoicing thousands. 

XIII. It was while affairs were in this position that the 
eyes of all men were turned for deliverance to WilKam, 
Prince of Orange, who had married Mary, the eldest daugh- 
ter of James. This wise and politic prince, being in^'ited over 
by the clergy and the people, left Holland wdth a fleet of five 
hundred vessels and an army of fourteen thousand men, 
and landed at Torbay on the 5th of November, 1688. Here 
he was joined by the nobility, clergy, and military ; even by 
Lord Churchill, who owed every thing to the bounty of the 
king ; and by Prince George of Denmark and his wife, the 
Princess Anne, second daughter to James. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 



7a 



XIV. In this manner the crown changed hands without 
the striking of a blow; James was confined at Rochester, 
but was permitted to escape to France, where he afterwards 
died : and the Prince and Princess of Orange were proclaimed 
joint king and queen of England on the 13th February, 1689. 



QUESTIONS TO CHAPTER VII. 



I. With what measures did 
Charles commence his reign? 
What indignities were offered 
to the body of Cromwell ? 

II. By what unpopular meas- 
ure did Charles lose the good 
opinion of the people ? How 
were his commands received by 
the Presbyterian ministers ? 

III. In what year was war 
declared mth Holland, and how 
ended the first engagement ? 

IV. What calamity befell 
London in 1665? When did 
the great fire take place ? How 
long did it last, and what was 
the extent of the destruction ? 

V. In what way did the 
Dutch take advantage of the 
distress, and in what year ? 

VI. When was the Popish 
Plot set on foot, and by whom ? 
Prelate the purport of Oates's 
statements. AVhen was the 
Earl of Stafford beheaded ? 

VII. In what year was the 
habeas corpus act passed ? 
What is the purport of the act ? 

VIII. What illustrious gen- 
tlemen were concerned in the 
Rye House Plot? What were 
their respective fates ? 

IX. What was the power of 
the king at this time ? When 
did he die ? What was the 
cause of his death ? What sac- 
raments did he receive ? What 



was his age ? How long had 
he reigned ? What was his 
character ? 

X. By whom was Charles 
succeeded ? With what acts 
did James commence his reign ? 
How was the insurrection of 
Monmouth received by the peo- 
ple ? How did his rebellion 
terminate, and what was his 
end? 

XI. How did the king's army- 
treat the prisoners ? What in- 
famous judge was appointed to 
try the rebels ? What were the 
cruel results ? What took place 
in the English fleet, and M^hat 
bishop was suspended from 
office ? 

XII. What was the real ten- 
dency of the king's order re- 
specting liberty of conscience ? 
Who protested against it ? How 
was this remonstrance received ? 
What was the event of the 
trial ? 

XIII. To whom did the peo- 
ple look for assistance? With 
what army and how many ships 
did Prince William leave Hol- 
land ? When and where did he 
land ? By whom was his stan- 
dard joined ? 

XIV. Did the crown change 
hands easily ? What became of 
James ? 'S^'Tien were the new 
sovereigns proclaimed ? 



74 OUTLINES OF 

CHAPTER VIII. 

UNITED HOUSES OF STUAUT AND NASSAU. 

Began to reign. Died. 

KiNC William III. a. d. 1689 1702. 

Queen Mart II. ...... " 1689 . 1694. 

Queen Anne, .... ... . " 1702. ....... 1714. 

William III. 

BEGAN TO REIGN A, D. 1689. DIED 1702. 

I. William III., throughout his reign in England, (for 
Queen Mary had little to do with afiau's of state, and died 
before her husband,) was troubled with treachery at home and 
warfare abroad. A great war with France continued nearly 
the whole time ; ^ and not only his crown, but his life, was sev- 
eral times attempted by the emissaries of the exiled James. 
The latter went over to Ireland in the spring of 1690, i-aised 
an army of forty thousand men, and besieged Londonderry. 
Failing in his attempt to reduce that city, he was forced to 
retreat with a loss of nine thousand men, and being met on 
the banks of the Eiver BojTie (June 30, 1690) by King Wil- 
liam and his army, was signally defeated. 

n. The late king was not yet discouraged by these failures, 
but fought a last battle at Aughrim, and was forced to re- 
treat to Limerick. Here, finding all chance of victory gone, 
his adherents capitulated, and above fourteen thousand of 
them followed him to France. 

in. William of Orange was a great general, and the bra- 
vest of soldiers. War was his element, and in raising sums 

1 This war between England and France extended to their colonial pos- 
sessions in America, known in American history as King William's War. 
In the commencement of this war the French and Indians perpetrated the 
most horrid barbarities upon the settlements in the northern colonies. In 
Dover, New Hampshire, a garrison was surprised, and many of the inmates 
were murdered or carried into captivity. Schenectady, New York, was 
burned, and most of the inhabitants inhumanly massacred. 



ENGLISH HISTOHT. 75 

for the prosecution of his military plans, he plunged the 
government into that great national debt which it has never 
since been able to discharge. Peace was, however, concluded 
at E-yswick, after eight years of bloodshed, (September 20, 
1697 ;) and on the 8th of March, 1702, England lost" this 
remarkable and celebrated sovereign. He was just fifty-two 
years of age, and was succeeded by his wife's sister, the sec- 
ond daughter of King James. Among the distinguished 
persons who lived during this reign were Dryden, Sir Isaac 
Newton, John Locke, Archbishop Tillotson, and Bishop 
Burnet. 

Anne. 
began to reign a. d. 1702. died 1714. 

IV. Anne now reigned in England, and her reign is the 
history of constant but brilliant warfare. The court of Ver- 
sailles had acknowledged Charles Edward, the son of James 
n., as Prince of Wales. Queen Anne felt this to be both a 
political and personal insult, and declared for war. Lord 
Churchill, now Duke of Marlborough, received the command 
of the English aiiny, as v.-ell as that of the Dutch, who sided 
with England. The Germans joined the alliance ; the Neth- 
erlands were speedily cleared of the invader ; several towns 
were taken by siege ; and the first of a series of splendid 
victories was fought at Blenheim, August 2, 1704. In this 
vear, also, the fortress of Gibraltar was taken by Sir G. 
Rooke, and has remained , in possession of England ever 
since. 

V. The next great victory which brought glory to Marl- 
borough was the famous battle of Eamillies, (May 21, 1706 ;) 
and in the autumn of the same year were finally united the 
kingdoms of England and Scotland. Though these two 
countries had since the accession of James I. acknowledged 
but one sovereign, they had enjoyed separate laws and sepa- 
rate Parliaments ; now both were represented at Westmin- 
ster, and the union was ratified as it still exists. 



76 OUTLINES OF 

VI. The year 1708 was signalized by the victory of Ou- 
denarde, gained by the Duke of Marlborough ; which was 
followed, in 1709, by the equally brilliant battle of Malpla- 
quet. Shortly after this, by a system of court intrigues 
the particulars of which would detain us too long in this 
place, the Duke of Marlborough and his wife (to whom the 
queen had been greatly attached) fell into disgrace. The 
great general was dismissed from his command, and a treaty 
of peace was entered upon at the celebrated conference of 
Utrecht. By this instrument, signed in April, 1713, Eng- 
land's glory and interest were secured. To her jurisdiction 
France resigned Hudson's Bay, Nova Scotia, and Newfound- 
land.^ Spain relinquished Gibraltar and Minorca 5 and the 
fortifications of Dunkii-k, which might have proved dangerous 
to her trade in time of war, were demolished. The rest of 
Europe was dealt by with equal fairness. 

Vn. Soon after this event the health of Queen Anne de- 
clined, and on the 31st of July, 1714, she died, at the age of 
forty-nine. She had reigned for twelve years, was much be- 
loved by the people, and went by the glorious and enviable 
title of " the good Queen Anne." During her reign Addi- 
son, Steele, Pope, Bolingbroke, Gay, Swift, Prior, and other 
famous wits and poets, i^hose works are considered to be 
the national classics, lived and wrote. This epoch is styled 
the Augustan age of English literature. 

1 This war is known in American history as " Queen Anne's War." Be- 
fore the commencement of hostilities New Yorls had concluded a treaty of 
neutrality between the Five Nations and the French governor in Canada ; 
the whole weight of the war, therefore, fell upon New England. In 1701 
the citizens despatched an armament against Port Royal, in Nova Scotia ; 
and having taken possession of the place, they called it Annapolis, in honor 
of Queen Anne. During the war the New England colonies suffered greatly 
from the incursions of the French and Indians from Canada ; but after the 
treaty of Utrecht was known in America, the Indians sued for peace. After 
this the colonies enjoyed comparative quiet and prosperity for nearly thirty 
years. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 



77 



QUESTIONS TO CHAPTER VIII. 



I. Was the reign of "Wil- 
liam peaceful and proSperous ? 
Whither did James repair ? 
What army did he assemble, 
and what town besiege ? When 
was the battle of the Boyne 
fought, and with what suc- 
cess r 

II. When did James fight his 
last battle ? What took place 
at Limerick ? 

III. What was the cause of 
the national debt ? When and 
where was peace concluded } 
When did William die ? What 
was his age, and by whom was 
he succeeded ? 

IV. Why did Queen Anne 
declare war with France ? Who 
became allies with the English, 
and who was appointed com- 
mander-in-chief } What success 
had Marlborough in the Nether- 
lands, and when did he win his 
first great victory ? What other 



important acquisition was made 
in this year .> 

V. What was the next victo- 
ry gained by Marlborough ? 
What great legal event took 
place in the autumn of 1706 ? 
What had been the points of 
separation between England 
and Scotland } In what way 
were they removed ? 

VI. What were, the two great 
victories of 1708 and 1709 ? 
How did it happen that Marl- 
borough lost his command ? 
Where was the peace conference 
held ? What glorious conces- 
sions were made by France and 
Spain to the arms of England ? 

VII. When did Queen Anne 
die ? What was her age ? By 
what popular name was she 
known ? What celebrated liter- 
ary characters lived during the 
reign ? By what name is the 
age distinguished ? 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK. 



Began to reign. 

George I a. d. 1714. . 

George II " 1727. . 

George III " 176O. . 



Died. 

1727. 
1760. 
1820. 



George L 
began to reign a. d. 1714. died 1727. 

L George I. of Brunswick, Elector of Hanover, and di- 
rect descendant of James I., succeeded to the " good Queen 
Anne." He was fifty-four years of age when he received the 
crown, and was preceded by a character for sagacity, experi- 



78 OUTLINES OF 

eiice, and industry, which led the nation to expect a happy 
and peaceable reign. However, he soon showed that he 
could be vindictive towards those of the nobility who had 
been unfavorable to his succession. The Duke of Ormond, 
Lord Bolingbroke, and the Earls of Oxford and Mortimer, 
were impeached of high treason, and Matthew Prior, the 
poet, was taken into custody. The Duke of Ormond and 
Bolingbroke, having fled to the continent, were degraded from 
their rank ; their names and arms were razed from the list of 
peers, and theii" estates confiscated. Lord Oxford was set at 
liberty. 

n. Rebellion now broke out in Scotland, (A. D. 1715,) 
and the son of James IL, known as the Pretender, was there 
supported by the interest of the Earl of Mar, and by arms, 
ammunition, and soldiers from France. Insurrections were 
also started in various parts of the western counties, but were 
promptly quelled by Generals Carpenter, Wills, and Pepper. 
Many noblemen and gentlemen of rank and substance took 
part in these disastrous risings ; the prisons of London were 
crowded wit]i unhappy captives ; the Lords Derwentwater, 
Carnwath, Wintoun, Kenmuir, Widdrington, and Nair, were 
executed ; five persons of inferior rank were hanged at Ty- 
burn, two and twenty at Preston and Manchester, and about 
a thousand were transported. The king would hear of no 
mercy. 

III. Perhaps the most extraordinary event in the reign of 
this sovereign was the great South Sea bubble. We will en- 
deavor to explain the nature of the speculation as briefly as 
possible. During the reign of William III., the government 
was obliged to borrow money (for war purposes) from difier- 
ent companies of merchants, and among the rest, from the 
South Sea traders. For this particular debt the government 
was paying an annual interest of £500,000. In 1720, one 
Blunt, a scrivener, came to the ministry in the name of this 
company, and proposed to them that the South Sea Company 
should become sole creditor to the state by the purchase 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 70 

of the debts of all the other companies. Ha^dng bought up 
these, the company offered to accept an interest of five per 
cent, for the first six years, and a reduced interest of four per 
cent, ever after, till the Parhament found itself in a position 
to pay it off altogether. But the company was not rich 
enough to make this gigantic pm'chase from its existent 
funds, and they proceeded to raise money by opening a sub- 
scription for trading in the South Seas, by which traffic they 
persuaded the public that great fortunes were to be made. 
Thus deluded, the pm-chasers of South Sea stock poured in 
by thousands, and the government creditors sold their gov- 
ernment stock for that of the South Sea Company. It was 
Vven advanced that the government was about to exchange 
Gibraltar for a portion of Peru; than which any thing more 
chimerical can hardly be conceived. The bubble exploded, the 
directors' estates, to the value of £2,014,000 were seized in 
1721, and many thousand famihes were overwhelmed with ruin. 
rV. The king, who had not been over to inspect his Hano- 
verian dominions for some time, resolved to pay them a \dsit 
in the month of June, 1727. He embarked for Holland ac- 
cordingly; but while travelhng "in his carriage from Delden> 
where he had passed the night, was taken suddenly ill, and 
expired at Osnaburgh the next morning, in the sixty-eighth 
year of his age, and the thirteenth of his reign. 

George II. 

BEG.YN TO REIGN A. D. 1727. DIED 1760. 

V. George II. .succeeded to his father when forty-four 
years of age, and his son, being summoned over from Hano- 
ver, took his rank as Prince of Wales. A misunderstanding 
with Spain occurred early in this reign. Li consequence of 
the discovery of some illicit trading vessels commanded by 
Englishmen, the Spanish guardships seized indiscriminately 
upon innocent and guilty, and subjected the captains of mer- 
chant vessels to considerable annoyance. Admiral Vernon was 



80 OUTLINES OF 

thei-efore sent out with a fleet of six ships to attack the 
Spanish settlements in America, (A. D. 1739.) Here he was 
uniformly victorious. Having taken Porto Bello, he bom- 
barded Carthagena, and took Fort Chagre, while Commodore 
Anson attacked the city of Paita, on the coast of Peru, cap- 
tured a valuable Spanish galleon, and retm-ned home laden 
with booty. 

VI. The death of Charles VI., Emperor of Germany, in 
1740, afforded the French an opportunity to interfere with the 
succession of that empire. Setting aside the hereditary claims 
of the em^jeror's daughter, Maria Theresa, Queen of Hungary, 
they caused the Elector of Bavaria to be raised to the imperial 
throne, whilst the King of Prussia grasped the provinces of 
Silesia. At this juncture England came forward to assist the 
cause of justice, and her example being followed by Holland, 
Sardinia, and Kussia, the elector was obliged to fly, and Ma- 
ria Theresa reigned in her father's kingdom. 

VII. The French declared for war,i (A. D. 1743,) and 
being met on the banks of the Mayne by the English army 
under command of the king in person, were signally de- 
feated by a force numbering twenty thousand less than their 
own. This was the famous battle of Dettingen. Mean- 
while Prince Charles Edward, son to the Pretender, and 
grandson to James II., made a bold stroke for the English 

' This war is known in European history as " the War of the Austrian 
Succession." In American history it is commonly called " King George's 
War." The most important event in Amei'ica was the seizure and capture 
of Loiiisburg, on the Island of Cape Breton. After the peace of Utrecht, 
the French had strongly fortified this place at an immense expense, and the 
conquest of it was deemed by the colonies of the highest importance. An 
expedition was undertaken without the knowledge of the English govern- 
ment. Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island 
raised their respective quota of troops ; New York furnished artillei-y, and 
Pennsylvania provisions. The troops numbered four thousand, and the naval 
force consisted of twelve ships. This force was joined by an English fleet, 
under the command of Commodoi-e Warren, and Louisburg capitulated on 
the 2Sth of June, A. D. 1745. By this conquest, security was given to the 
colonies in their fisheries, Nova Scotia was preserved, and the trade and 
fisheries of France were nearly ruined. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 81 

• 

crown. He landed in Scotland with a few desperate adventur- 
ers, seven officers, and arms for only two thousand men, gained 
an unimportant victory over Sir John Cope at Preston Pans, and 
took possession of Dunkeld, Perth, Dundee, and Edinburgh. 
He then reduced CarHsle, and advanced into England ; but 
not finding himself supported there, he retreated northward, 
followed by the English army and the Duke of Cumberland. 
Upon the plain of Culloden the cause of the Stuarts was for- 
ever lost. A great battle was fought on the 16th April, 
1746. The loss of the EngHsh scarcely exceeded 200 men, 
while 2500 Scots were left on the field. Charles Edward 
sought safety in flight, escaped through countless dangers, 
and died at Rome in 1788. 

Vni. Warfare abroad and rebellion at home induced Eng- 
land to regard with favor a negotiation proposed between the 
belligerent powers m the year 1748. At Aix-la-Chapelle a 
treaty was thereupon concluded, by which all nations were 
pacified, and peace prevailed in Europe. Not so, however, in 
North America. For more than a half century the several 
colonies had been engaged for most of the time in a costly 
and sanguinary struggle with the French and Indians, in w^hich 
they became involved by reason of their connection with 
England. AVhenever England declared war against France, 
her American colonies were called upon to sustain themselves 
in their contests "with the French colonists, who were settled 
in Canada, and their Indian alKes ; but in 1755 hostilities 
commenced in America, which ultimately extended throughout 
Europe. A series of encroachments had long been made by 
France on the English colonies, who now prepared to resist 
them. Expeditions against the several French forts and set- 
tlements were fitted out with various successes ; but in 1759 
a grand and decisive victory was obtained by General Wolfe, 
in Canada, which led to the surrender of Quebec, and soon 
after (A. D. 1763) to the total cession of all Canada. Gen- 
eral Wolfe was killed upon the field of battle. 

IX. But the glor}' of the great British name was still 



82 OUTLINES OF 

further increased by the splendid successes of Clive in the 
East Indies. Terribly revenging the death of 123 EngHsh 
subjects in a narrow prison called the Black Hole, this gallant 
soldier attacked and took Calcutta, June 20, 1757, afterwards 
winning a second splendid victory at Plassey, by which was 
acquired the province of Bengal, a district exceeding in size 
the whole extent of Great Britain, and in wealth, fertility, and 
natural advantages, all the provinces of the East. 

X. King George II., in the midst of his glories and 
successes, died quite suddenly, from a rupture of the right 
ventricle of the heart, (October 25, 1760,) being then in the 
seventy-seventh year of his age, and the thirty-third of his 
reign. In consequence of the death of Frederic, Prince of 
Wales, some nine years previously, the king was succeeded 
by his grandson, under the title of George III. 



George III. 

BEGAN TO EEIGN A. D. 1760. DIED 1820. 

XI. George III. ascended the throne of England at a period 
when her arms abroad and the progress of her wealth and 
civilization at home had rendered the position of the monarch 
one of the most enviable and illustrious in the whole world. 
The first remarkable event in this reign was the declaration 
of war between England and Spain, in 1762. Altogether 
this was one of the most glorious wars ever carried on in 
any age by any people. In the course of seven years were 
won twelve great battles by land and sea. Twenty-five 
islands, nine fortified cities, and forty forts and castles were 
taken ; a hundred ships of war were captm-ed ; and more than 
twelve millions sterling were acquired as plunder. France 
and Spain at length became anxious to terminate a war which 
had been so disastrous to them, and a general treaty of 
peace was concluded at Paris on the 16th of February, 1763. 

Xn. Soon after the peace of Paris, serious troubles arose 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 83 

between England and her North American colonies. Eng- 
land had incm-red an immense debt by the late war with 
France, and Parliament determined that, as the war had been 
waged chiefly on account of the colonies, the colonies should 
bear their share of the expense. They accordingly resorted 
to means of taxation. In 1765 the stamp act was passed. 
By this act, all business papers and certificates, as well as 
newspapers, required a stamp, similar to that ah-eady used in 
Great Britain. The passage of this act roused the colonies to 
resistance, and a colonial Congress was called, which met on 
the 7th of October, 1765. They pubhshed a " Declaration 
of Rights and Liberties " ^ on the 19th of the same month, 



1 With the exception of a few lines in the preamble, here follows in full 
the Declaration of Rights and Liberties. 

The members of this Congress esteem it our indispensable duty to make 
the following declaration of our humble opinion respecting the most essen- 
tial rights and liberties of the colonists, and of the grievances under which 
thej"^ labor bj' reason of several late acts of Parliament. 

I. That his majesty's subjects in these colonies owe the same allegiance 
to the crown of Great Britain ihat is owing from his subjects born within 
the realm, and all due subordination to that august body, the Parliament 
of Great Britain. 

II. That his majesty's liege subjects in these colonies are entitled to all 
the inherent rights and liberties of his natural born subjects within the 
kingdom of Great Britain. 

III. That it is inseparably essential to the freedom of a people, and the 
undoubted i-ight of Englishmen, that no taxes be imposed on them but with 
their own consent, given personally or by their representatives. 

IV. That the people of these colonies are not, and, from their local 
circumstances, cannot be represented in the House of Commons in Great 
Britain. 

V. That the only representatives of the people of these colonies are per- 
sons chosen therein by themselves, and that no taxes ever have been or can 
be constitutionally imposed on them but by their respective legislatures. 

VI. That all supplies to the crown being free gifts of the people, it is 
unreasonable and inconsistent with the principles and spirit of the British 
constitution for the people of Great Briiain to grant to his majesty the 
property of the colonists. 

VII. That trial by jury is the inherent and invaluable right of every 
British subject in these colonies. 

VIII. That the late act of Parliament entitled " An Act for granting and 



84 OUTLINES OF 

in whicli tliey denied the right of Parliament to impose taxes 
upon the colonies without their own consent, given person- 
ally or by their representatives. 

XIII. In 1766 the stamp act was repealed ; but in the 
following year an act was passed by ParHament imposing a 
duty upon tea and other imports into the colonies. The pas- 
sage of this act led to still more determined resistance on the 
part of the colonies, and the tea sent from England was 
thrown overboard by an enraged populace in Boston, and 
either destroyed or sent back in other places. 

XIV. To enforce the commercial rule of England, her fleet 
upon the American coast was turned into a revenue squad- 
ron, and a standing army was sent out to enforce obedience. 
Still the colonies would liot yield, and war was inevitable. 

applying certain stamp duties and other duties in the British colonies and 
plantations in America," &n., by imposing taxes on the inhabitants of these 
colonies, and the said act, and several other acts, by extending the juris- 
diction of the Courts of Admiralty beyond its ancient limits, have a mani- 
fest tendency to subvert the rights and liberties of the colonists. 

IX. That the duties imposed by several late acts of Parliameat, from 
the peculiar circumstances of these colonies, will be extremely burden- 
some and grievous, and, from the scarcity of specie, the payment of them 
absolutely impracticable. 

X. That as the profits of the trade of these colonies ultimately centre 
in Great Britain, to pay for the manufactures which ,they are obliged to 
take from thence, they eventually contribute very largely to all supplies 
granted there to the crown. 

XI. That the restrictions imposed by several late acts of Parliament on 
the trade of these colonies will render them unable to purchase the manu- 
factures of Great Britain. 

XII. That the increase, prosperity, and happiness of these colonies 
depend on the full and free enjoyments of their rights and liberties, and an 
intercourse with Great Britain mutually affectionate and advantageous. 

XIII. That it is the right of the British subjects in these colonies to 
petition the king or either House of Parliament. 

Lastly. That it is the indispensable duty of these colonies to the best 
of sovereigns, to the mother country, and to themselves, to endeavor by a 
loyal and dutiful address to his majesty, and humble applications to both 
Houses of Parliament, to procure the repeal of the act for granting and 
applying certain stamp duties, of all clauses of any other acts of Parlia- 
ment whereby the jurisdiction of the admiralty is extended as aforesaid, 
and of the other late acts for the restriction of American commerce. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 85 

On the morning of the 19th of April, 1775, a force of eight 
hundred English troops was sent from Boston to Concord to 
seize some military stores. A battle ensued at Lexington, in 
which the English lost, during their retreat, 273 soldiers, and 
the Americans lost less than 100. The battle of Bun- 
ker's Hill followed on the 17th of June, 1775, in which the 
Americans were compelled to retreat for want of ammu- 
nition, after a valiant resistance, in which the advance of the 
enemy was twice repelled. The Americans lost 450 men in 
killed and wounded, and the English more than twice that 
number. The news of this battle s])read through the colonies, 
exciting the most determined resistance ; and on the 4th of 
July, 1776, the Continental Congress assembled at Phila- 
delphia declared the colonies to be "free and independent 
states." 

XV. General Washington was appointed commander-in- 
chief of the American forces, raised and to be raised, and 
the war in America was prosecuted with great ^dgor. In 
1778 France formed a treaty with America, and in 1779 
Spain acknowledged her independence. Thus war was 
provoked by these two powers, and in 1781 a third enemy 
was found in the Dutch. During this latter year England 
was carrying on at one time, by sea and land, four great 
contests ; namely, with America, France, Spain, and Hol- 
land. In America, a few towns only on the seaboard had 
been taken, but the interior was untenable, if not uncon- 
querable. Thousands of troops, hundreds of vessels, milKons 
of treasure had all been lost, and still the Americans 
would not yield. The war was vu'tually ended, however, 
in the month of October, 1781, by the surrender of York- 
town by Lord Cornwallis to General Washington; and in 
1783 a treaty of ])eace M^as made, acknowledging the inde- 
pendence of the "United States of America." Peace was 
also made with France and Spain, and in 1784 with Holland, 
and also between the East India Company and the Kajah of 
Mysore. 

8 



86 OUTLINES OF 

XVI. A terrible revolution took place in France in the 
memorable year 1789, which, although it did not directly 
affect the interests of the British throne, was destined ulti- 
mately to extend an unparalleled influence over the destinies 
of Europe. The populace rose, destroyed the Bastile, de- 
posed and imprisoned King Louis XVI., and declared France 
a republic. After many excesses, during which the European 
powers stood by as inactive spectators, the French Jacobins 
guillotined the king, queen, and certain members of the royal 
family, A. D. 1793 ; whereupon a great confederacy was 
established between England, Spain, Holland, and the em- 
pires of Germany and Russia, to restore the crown of 
France. Valenciennes was taken ; Toulon was taken and 
lost again ; many French settlements in the West Indies 
were captured, (A. D. 1794 ;) the Island of Corsica was sub- 
dued ; and the Cape of Good Hope, and Trincomalee, in 
Ceylon, were added to the possessions of Great Britain. 

XVII. And now the most extraordinary man of modem 
history, the greatest conqueror of any age since Julius Caesar, 
the finest soldier that ever won French laurels, began to dis- 
tinguish himself against the Austrians, (A. D. 1795,) and to 
pave the way for the magnificent reputation Avhich, as Napo- 
leon the Great, he afterwards acquired. Before his arms the 
states of Germany were forced to sue for peace, and the 
English viceroy was compelled to evacuate Corsica. The 
year 1797 saw the mutinies of Spithead and the Nore, the 
disgrace of which was, however, compensated by the splendid 
victories of Cape St. Vincent and Camperdown, won by Ad- 
mirals Sir John Jervis and Duncan. These brave command- 
ers were each rewarded with a peerage. 

XVni. The highly-merited fame of these two great victo- 
ries was, nevertheless, eclipsed by that of the battle of the 
Nile, (A. D. 1798,) in which Nelson asserted his place as the 
first naval commander of that day ; cut through the centre 
of the French fleet ; dispersed, captured, and destroyed thir- 
teen of the enemy's ships ; and was recompensed with the 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 87 

title of Baron Nelson of the Nile, and a pension of £3000 
per annum. In the mean time, Napoleon Bonaparte was 
rapidly taldng the lead in all the most important affairs of 
the French Republic. To him was intrusted the command 
of a powerful army in Egypt ; but finding the English so 
victorious upon the Nile, he hastened back to Paris, and was 
created first consul in 1799. In the beginning of 1800 he 
crossed the Alps at the head of his army, and by the brilliant 
victory of Marengo (14th June) annihilated, for the time, the 
Austrian power in Italy. 

XIX. The union of Great Britain with Ireland was fixed 
by an act of ParHament, passed on the 21st of April, 1800, 
to commence from the first day of the new century, (Janu- 
ary 1, 1801.) The Imperial Parliament of the United King- 
dom was summoned to meet on the 22d of the same month. 
This measm-e met with much opposition fi:om the Irish. 

XX. Li this year, (A. D. 1801,) Napoleon succeeded in 
fomenting a war between England and Denmark, and a pow- 
erful fleet, under Lord Nelson and Su* H. Parker, was 
accordingly despatched to the bombardment of Copenhagen. 
The Danes had made formidable preparations, and fought 
valiantly during a strife of four hours, when, ha^dng lost all 
their ships of the line and their floating batteries, they were 
compelled to capitulate. Shortly after this, the French were 
routed in Egypt by Sir Ralph Abercrombie and Major 
General Hutchinson, where the battles of Aboukir and ^Alexan- 
dria were won, in the former of which the brave Abercrombie 
met his death wound. 

XXI. While Great Britain was thus extending her tri- 
umphs abroad, (A. D. 1802,) she was threatened by Napoleon 
with an invasion at home. For this purpose he had prepared 
a flotilla of flat-bottomed boats, and other vessels, for the 
conveyance of his troops. Alarmed by these movements 
on the part of the enemy, the government assembled a 
squadron, under Lord Nelson, for the defence of the coast. 
The iQvasion was never attempted; a treaty was entered 



88 OUTLINES OF 

upon by the English, French, Spanish, and Dutch powers, 
and on the 29th of Aj)ril, 1802, peace was proclaimed in 
London. This interval was destined not to be of long dura- 
tion, and war was again proclaimed, April 29, 1803. 

XXII. Not content with the title of first consul. Napo- 
leon constituted himself Emperor of France in the year 
1804,*and was crowned King of Italy in 1805. In conse- 
quence of these proceedings, an alliance was now formed 
between England, Russia, Austria, and Sweden. But Napo- 
leon was victorious at Austerlitz, where he signally defeated 
the Austrian forces, and Russia was compelled to retreat. 
Fortunately, the share borne by England was sufficiently 
victorious to counterbalance these disasters. October 21, 
1805, was fought the famous battle of Trafalgar, in which 
Lord Nelson defeated the united fleets of France and Spain, 
and expired just as the conquest was assured. The following 
year (1806) records the death of the two most famous 
statesmen of that epoch — namely, William Pitt and Charles 
James Fox. 

XXni. Napoleon was now the greatest monarch of Eu- 
rope. Emperor of France, King of Italy, Protector of 
Bavaria and Wirtemberg, he dominated over every other 
government excepting those of England and Spain. Two 
of his brothers filled the thrones of Holland and Naples ; 
Denmark was in his service ; Prussia at his mercy ; Russia 
had just concluded a peace which was entirely to his advan- 
tage ; and Austria enjoyed but the shadow of a power 
which was really vested in his hands. Had he then been 
prudent, all might have been well ; but he resolved to seize 
upon Spain likewise, and from this attempt may the begin- 
ning of his ruin be dated. 

XXIV. Having taken Ferdinand of Spain prisoner by 
an ingenious stratagem, (A. D. 1808,) he carried that mon- 
arch and his son into France, and proclaimed his brother 
Joseph King of Spain. A general insurrection immediately 
biroke out in all parts of Spain ; aid was implored fi'om 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 89 

England ; the peasantry formed themselves into guerilla par- 
ties, anno}ing and surprising the French at every opportu- 
nity, cutting off their supphes, shooting their stragglers, and 
skirmishing with theu' outposts ; except where the army was 
actually present, the power of Napoleon was set at nought ; 
and, to crown all, an aimy of ten thousand men was sent 
out, commanded by Sir Arthur Wellesley, better known at 
the present time by the title of Duke of Welhngton. Thus 
commenced the famous Peninsular war, and the first engage- 
ment is known as the decisive battle of Vimiera, August 21, 
'1808. 

XXV. The next event of importance was the victory of 
Talavera, (July 27, 1809,) in acknowledgment of which Sir 
Ai'thur Wellesley received the title of Viscount Wellington. 
Not so fortunate was the memorable and ill-fated expedicica 
to Walcheren, in which nearly fifty thousand fine soldiers fell 
inglorious. victims to the unhealthy cHmate of Zealand, and 
the disgraceful inefficiency of those placed in command, In 
the following year, (1810,) Lord Wellington completely drove 
the French troops from Portugal. At this period, a succes- 
sion of splendid victories, too numerous to admit of notice in 
so brief a recapitulation as the present, every where attended 
the career of Wellington. 

XXVI. England and Russia now coalesced against France, 
(A. D. 1812,) and the emperor resolved upon an invasion of 
Russia, collected an army of six hundred thousand men, 
forced his way to Borodino, — where, after a sanguinary battle 
of three successive days, the Russians were defeated, — and 
pushed on immediately for Moscow. The Russians, kno^ving 
no other means by which to deprive the French of winter 
quarters and pro-^dsions, actually set fire to then- ancient and 
beautiful capital, so that, on their arrival, the conquerors found 
nothing but desolation and flames. Thus disappointed of 
resources, they began a hasty retreat to France, having to 
traverse an enemy's country amid all the horrors of a north- 
em winter, and being utterly destitute of all pro-sisicn, except 

8* 



90 OUTLINES OP 

such as they could find amid the deserted villages along their 
route. During this frightful journey, they were perpetually 
harassed by flying bodies of Cossacks, were starved, frozen, 
and left to die by the wayside. No less than three hundred 
thousand splendid soldiers thus perished miserably. Seeing 
the emperor's present weakness, all the European powers 
now combined to crush their common enemy. One by one, 
his conquests were wrested from him, and on May 31, 1814, 
the alUed armies entered Paris. On the 6th of April fol- 
lowing, Napoleon signed his abdication at Fontainebleau, and 
Louis XVin. was recalled to the throne of his ancestors. 

XXVII. Some unfortunate disputes between the govern- 
ment of Great Britain and the United States led to a decla- 
ration of war by the United States, June 19, A. D. 1812. 
The Americans unsuccessfully invaded Canada ; but at sea 
their frigates obtained many signal triumphs over British ves- 
sels. The war was, however, of short dm-ation, and peace was 
concluded between the two nations in 1815. The same year, 
while the ambassadors were assembled at Vienna to adjust 
the claims of Europe, the world was struck with surprise, ter- 
ror, and admiration, by the report that Napoleon had escaped 
from his exile at Elba, and, having landed in France, was once 
again at the head of his beloved army. Again he ascended 
the imperial throne ; again the alKed sovereigns assembled 
their forces -, and again they met, for the last time, upon the 
field of Waterloo, near Brussels. Here, on the 18th of June, 
was fought the ever-memorable battle of Waterloo, in which the 
French army was irrevocably routed, and fled from the field 
in the utmost confusion. All was now over with Napoleon. 
He surrendered himself to the mercy of England ; but in- 
stead of being received as a fallen hero, he was sent a pris- 
oner to the far and lonely Island of St. Helena, where, after 
lingering through a few melancholy years, he died on the 
5th of May, 1821. The expenses of England during the 
prosecution of this war are said to have exceeded seventy 
millions. 

XXVni. The year 1820 proved fatal to the Duke of 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 



91 



Kent, father to Queen Victoria ; and in less than a week after 
the death of this prince, England lost, in George III., one of 
her most respected sovereigns. This venerable monarch 
expired on the 29th January, 1820, in the eighty-second year 
of his age, and the sixtieth of his reign, which is the longest 
and most remarkable in the annals of English iiistory. 



QUESTIONS TO CHAPTER IX. 



I. ■ By whom was Queen Anne 
succeeded ? How old was 
George I., and what character 
preceded hmi ? What noblemen 
experienced his resentment ? 
How were Ormond and Boling- 
broke punished ? 

II. What proceedings were 
now taken by the Pretender, and" 
by whom was he supported? 
What generals quelled the in- 
su.rrections ?■ What became of 
the various insurgents ? 

III. Describe the nature and 
origin of that speculation called 
the" South Sea bubble. How did 
the South Sea Company raise 
money from pubhc credulity ? 
When the bubble burst, what 
was found to be the value of the 
directors' estates ? 

IV. Relate the manner of the 
king's death. 

Y. By whom was George I. 
succeeded ? What was the na- 
ture of the misunderstanding 
with Spahi ? In what year was 
Admiral Yernon sent out } 
V/hat successes were achieved 
by him and Commodore Anson ? 

YI. On what occasion did the 
French interfere Avith the Aus- 
trian succession ? What injus- 
tice did they commit towards 
Maria Theresa ? What coun- 
tries joined with England to as- 
sist the cause of justice, and 
what was the result ? 

YII. In what year did the 
French declare war ? What 



great battle took place on the 
banks of the Mayne ? What 
was Prince Charles Edward 
about in the mean time } Wha,t 
cities did he seize in Scotland ? 
By whom was he pursued ? 
When was the battle of Culld- 
den fought ? What was the re- 
sult ? What was the fate of the 
young Pretender ? 

Y^III. In what year was con- 
cluded the peace of Aix-la-Cha- 
pelle ? in what colonies did the 
French and English continue at 
war ? What were the English 
conquests abroad, and when did 
General Wolfe fall ? 

IX. What terrible revenge 
was taken by Clive in the East 
Indies ? What were his con- 
quests there ? 

X. When did George II. die, 
and by whom was he succeeded ? 

XI. What was the first re- 
markable event in this reign : 
What were the successes of 
seven years ? When was the 
stamp act imposed on the 
American colonies, and how was 
it received ? 

XII. What led to the war be- 
tween England and America r 
When wasthe stamp act passed ? 
When did the colonial Congress 
assemble ? What important 
measure did they adopt : 

XIII. What act followed the 
repeal of the stamp act ? What 
was done with the tea imported 
from England? What great 



92 



OUTLINES OP 



wars did England carry on in 

consequence ? What was the 
virtual ending of the American 
war ? 

XIV. What measures were 
taken by England to enforce 
obedience ? When was the first 
battle fought? What battle 
soon followed ? When did the 
American Congress proclaim 
their independence ? 

XV. Who was appointed 
commander-in-chief of the 
American army? When did 
France declare in favor of 
America ? When did Spain ac- 
knowledge their independence ? 
What treaties of peace were 
made in the year 1783? In 1784? 

XVI. What dreadful event 
occurred in France in 1789 ? 
What were the proceedings of 
the French revolutionists, and 
into what confederacy did the 
Eixropean powers enter in 1793 ? 

XVII. What extraordinary 
man now began to make his 
name known in Europe ? What 
were his successes ? What fa- 
mous mutinies occurred in 1797, 
and what splendid victories at 
sea ? 

XVIII. In what year did Nel- 
son win the battle of the Nile ? 
Relate the circumstances of the 
engagement. How was the gal- 
lant admiral rewarded ? What 
were the proceedings of Napo- 
leon at this juncture ? In what 
year was he created first consul ? 
When did he cross the Alps, and 
what great victory followed ? 

XIX. Relate the particulars 
of the Union. 

XX. In what year was Co- 
penhagen bombarded, and with 
what success ? By whom were 
the French defeated in Egypt, 
and what general there met his 
death. ? 



XXI. In what year did Napo- 
leon project an invasion of Eng- 
land ? What steps were taken, 
to prevent it ? When was peace 
concluded, and how long did it 
last ? 

XXII. What royal titles were 
next assumed by Napoleon, and 
in what great battle did he de- 
feat the Austrians ? When was 
the battle of Trafalgar fought ? 
What was the fate of Nelson ? 
What statesmen died in the 
year 1896 ? 

XXIII. What was the posi- 
tion of Napoleon at this time ? 
From what point may his ruin 
be dated ? 

XXIV. "\Vhat steps did he 
take to put his brother on the 
throne of Spain ? With what 
resistance did he meet ? Name 
the first battle of the great Pen- 
insular war. 

XXV. For what victory was 
Wellesley promoted ? What 
were the losses at Walcheren ? 
In what year did Wellington 
drive the French from Por- 
tugal ? 

XXVI. Relate the particu- 
lars of Napoleon's expedition to 
Russia in 1812. How many 
men did he take out, and how 
many perished in the retreat ? 
What powers now combined to 
crush the emperor, and what 
success had they ? 

XXVII. In what year did 
Napoleon escape from Elba ? 
When was fought the battle of 
Waterloo, and with what result ? 
What was the end of Napo- 
leon ? 

XXVIII. When did the 
Duke of Kent die ? What rela- 
tion was he to Queen Victoria ? 
When did George III. die, and 
at what age ? How long had he 
reigned ? 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 93 



CHAPTER X. 

THE HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK, (continued.) 

Began to reigru Died. 

George IV a. d. 182u a. d. 18.30. 

William IV " 1830 1837. 

VicTORLi. I " 1837. reigning. 

George IV. 

BEG.\N TO REIGN A. D. 1820. DIED 1830. 

I. George IV., fourth sovereign of the House of Bruns- 
wick, succeeded to the throne. As prince regent, during the 
last ten years of his father's life, when mental and bodily 
infirmity had rendered that aged monarch incapable of gov- 
erning, George TV. had virtually been king of England long 
before he wore the crown. He was a man of polished and 
fascinating manners, but heartless as Charles I., and profligate 
as Charles 11. The first act of his reign was to exclude his 
wife's name ^ from the liturgy of the church, and to seek a 
divorce by means of accusations against her, wiiich, even 
though they might be only too true, should never have met 
the pubhc ear. She came over to England, where her cause 
was espoused by the populace, and took up her residence at 
Hammersmith. Although the ministers declined to proceed 
for a bill of divorce, it was decided by law that she could not 
claim the honors of coronation, to which, as queen consort, 
she enjoyed a prescriptive, but not a judicial right. Boing, 
however, ill advised by her supporters, she presented herself 
at the doors of Westminster Abbey, July 19, 1821, just as 
the ceremony was about to commence. Her demand for 
admission was refused, and after a lengthened and undignified 
altercation, she retired, only to die within a few days, of 
shame, mortification, and a broken heart. 

n. In the year 1822, disease, famine, and rebellion 
spread through Ireland. O'Connell made hunself conspic- 

1 Caroline of Bmnswick. 



94 OUTLINES OF 

uous among the disaffected 5 the cry for Catholic emancipa- 
tion rose alike from all quarters, from Brow Head in Cork 
to Fair Head in Antrim ; and a grant of £300,000 was sent 
over from England to the relief of the distressed peasantry. 

in. The prevailing liberality of opinion having extended 
to the shores of Greece, that oppressed nation now made a 
desperate effort to throw off the yoke of Turkey. In the 
year 1824, Lord Byron, accompanied by several Englishmen 
of talent and position, went over to their assistance ; but the 
noble poet was not destined to witness the success of the 
great enterprise which he had embraced. He died at Mis- 
solonghi, on the 19th April, 1824. The following year was 
remarkable for a great panic in the money market, and for 
the failure of many banking houses, joint stock companies, 
&c. By engaging in such ill-judged speculations, many thou- 
sands were ruined, and the national misery that ensued was 
without a parallel since the bursting of the South Sea bubble. 

rV. The struggle between Greece and Turkey had now, by 
its long continuance, attracted the attention of Em-ope, and 
determined the leading powers to interfere for the protection 
and liberation of the former. The combined fleets of Eng- 
land, France, and Russia sailed, accordingly, into the port of 
Navarino, October 20, 1827 ; blew up, captm-ed, and almost 
annihilated the Turkish navy, under Ibrahim Pacha ; and con- 
firmed the independence of the nation which they came to 
deliver. 

V. It became daily more and more evident that Ireland 
would never be otherwise than disaffected and unsettled, so 
long as the law excluded Roman Catholics from the just 
privileges of the king's subjects. At this period, to believe 
in transubstantiation and the infallibility of the pope, was to 
be excluded from Parliament, to be denied the possession of 
arms, to be ineligible for all corporate offices, such as that of 
mayor, sheriff, &c. ; and, in short, to be subject to such a 
host of indignities as even, at this brief distance of time, we 
feel almost difficult of befief. In the month of February, 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 95 

1829, this important question was brought before the House 
of Commons, and, in the month of April, was carried by a 
large majority in the House of Lords, when it became a law, 
known as the Roman Catholic emancipation act. All sub- 
jects of Great Britain were henceforth equals throughout 
the country. 

VI. In the early part of 1830, the king's health began to 
decline, and, after a lingering illness of some months, he 
expired at Windsor on the 20th of June. 

"William IV. 

BEGAN TO REIGN A. D. 1830. DIED 1837. 

Vn. King Willia:vi IV., late Duke of Clarence, and 
brother to George IV., now succeeded to the crown. The 
year 1832 is famous for the great reform of Parliament, car- 
ried by the king and the Commons against the strenuous 
opposition of the Lords. Thereby Parliament was put upon 
a basis of security, in accordance with the jDublic wish ; many 
e^ils were swept away, and a valuable power of further re- 
form was vested in the nation, The franchise was removed 
from barely-copulated to thickly-inhabited to\vns, and bri- 
bery at elections was made punishable. 

VIII. The year 1834 was signalized by the act by which 
slavery was abolished throughout the colonies. The sum of 
£20,000,000 sterling was granted by Parliament for compen- 
sation to the masters of the liberated slaves ; and on August 
1, 1834, no less than 770,280 became free men — a number 
equal to one third of the population of London, 

IX. In 1837 the health of William IV. was observed to 
fail rapidly, and on the 21st of June he died, much regretted, 
after a brief and prosperous reign, during which he had aided 
to advance the liberties of his people, and succeeded in at- 
taching to his memory the respect of posterity. 



96 OUTLINES OF 

Victoria I. 

BEGAN TO REIGN A. D. 1837. 

X. In the nineteenth year of her age, when England 
was at peace with the world, when the legislative meas- 
ures of the preceding reigns had ceased to provoke hos- 
tilities, and already begun to manifest their beneficial results, 
Queen Victoria I. ascended the throne, and her micle, the 
Duke of Cumberland, immediately departed to take pos- 
session of the kingdom of Hanover, now severed from the 
British empire by the operation of the SaKc law, which ex- 
cludes females from the crown. Lower Canada was at this 
time in a state of actual revolt ; but the rebels, being de- 
feated, fled to the United States, (Jan., 1838,) and the British 
Parliament united the two provinces of Upper and Lower 
Canada, thereby restoring tranquillity and aboHshing party 
spirit. In this year the queen's coronation took place ; the 
great Affghanistan war commenced in the East Indian teiii- 
tories, and war with China was declared. 

XL A society called Chartism was formed in the year 
1839, chiefly among the working classes, for the furtherance 
of a scheme of universal suffrage, which they imagined was 
to redress all their grievances, and which they proceeded to 
enforce by assembling in different parts of the country, with 
guns, pikes, and other weapons. On the 4th of Novem- 
ber of this year they met, to the number of ten thousand, 
and, headed by one Frost, made an attack upon Newport, 
but were defeated and put to flight by a detachment of the 
forty-fifth regiment, stationed in that town. Three of the 
leaders were seized and condemned to death ; but the sen- 
tence was subsequently commuted to transportation for life. 
Li the early part of the following year, (1840,) her majesty 
was married to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. An 
expedition sent out to China reduced that country to submis- 
sion. Canton was occupied by English forces, and the em- 
peror was compelled to pay six millions of dollars for the 
expenses of the war, before the city was restored to him. 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 97 

Xn. In the mean time, the Anglo-Indian army achieved 
some success at Candahar and Cabul, but, in the year 1842, 
met with serious reverses. An insurrection broke out at Ca- 
bul, the British envoy was assassinated, then- army almost cut 
to pieces, and the melancholy remnant obKged to retreat 
before the enemy. Lord Ellenborough was then sent out as 
Governor General ; two armies were despatched against the 
Affghan forces ; the fortifications of Cabul were destroyed, 
the Affghans conquered, and the national honor retrieved. 
China having broken faith with England, a small fleet, com- 
manded by Admiral Parker, won a series of brilliant victo- 
ries, took seven of their great commercial cities, exacted a 
compensatory tribute of 21,000,000 dollars, and took perma- 
nent possession of the valuable Island of Hong Kong. 

Xin. In the year 1844 began a brief but sanguinary war- 
fare between the government and the Sikh tribes of India. 
Five great battles were fought, many thousands of lives were 
sacrificed, and the ^ictories were purchased by sad losses. 
Peace was concluded with the Sikhs in February, 1846. 
Just one year previously (1845) the corn laws were repealed, 
and the people received the blessing of cheap bread. 

XIV. It need scarcely be said that the year 1851 is fa- 
mous for the peace of all nations, and for the opening of the 
Industrial Exhibition called the Crystal Palace, in Hyde Park. 
This superb building consisted entirely of glass and iron, cov- 
ered nineteen acres of ground, contained one million square 
feet of flooring, and was erected at a cost of £79,800. The 
roof alone comprised seventeen acres of glass, and more than 
four thousand tons of iron were used in the structm-e. Here 
w?re assembled the wealth, ingenuity, and industry of the 
world, from the rude implements of warfare wielded by the 
native of the Pacific Islands to the thrice refined luxuries of 
Em'opean civilization. Here might be seen at one time 
travellers from the most opposite hemispheres, who, with the 
people of England, were alike employed in the study of the 
useful and the beautiful. Towards the close of the year the 
9 



98 OUTLINES OP 

materials of this building were sold for £70,000 to the new 
Crystal Palace Company, by whom the present gigantic exhi- 
bition was erected at Sydenham, in Surrey. It is designed 
as a place of permanent recreation for the citizens of Lon- 
don, and not only far exceeds the former palace in size and 
beauty, but is surrounded by gardens and promenades, and 
contains the finest fountains in England. In this year, also, 
the communication by means of electric telegraph was per- 
fected between England and France. 

XV. On the 14th September, 1852, died suddenly, at Wal- 
mer Castle, Arthur, Duke of Wellington, the great general 
who never was defeated in ^ battle, and whose memory is 
forever famous as the conqueror of Napoleon. He was buried 
with great pomp in St. Paul's Cathedral, November 18, 1852. 

XVI. The year 1854 is among the most memorable which 
we have had to record since the conquest of England by 
the Romans, For nearly twenty years England had been 
at peace with Europe. The heroes of the Peninsula belonged 
to a fast-ebbmg generation, and such as yet survived were old 
men, decorated by honorable medals. Corn had been reaped 
upon the field of Waterloo ; Napoleon and WelKngton were 
both gone, and their ashes rested in Paris and in London. 
AH was long past, and " on earth peace and good will 
towards men " seemed to have become an abiding blessing. 
But in the midst of tranquillity came injustice and strife. 
The Emperor Nicholas of Russia, whose territories are equal 
in size to all the rest of Europe put together, claimed power 
over two thirds of the population of Turkey, under the pre- 
text that all Greeks were of the same religion as himself, 
and that therefore all Greeks born in the sultan's domin- 
ions should acknowledge him as their protector and the head 
of their church. In the mean time he seized on Moldavia 
and Wallachia as hostages for the sultan's consent — two 
provinces which, together, comprise a larger extent of coun- 
try than England and Wales, and which contain about one 
million four hundred and fifty thousand souls. To this de- 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 99 

mand the sultan sent a spirited defiance, and after three or 
four brilliant actions, Omar Pacha, the Turkish general, suc- 
ceeded in driving the Russians back from Wallachia and Mol- 
davia. England and France now thought it time to inter- 
fere, and being roused to just indignation by the affair of 
Sinope, in which five thousand Turks, resolved to dispute 
the aggressions of Nicholas, were massacred by a Russian 
fleet, war was declared towards the end of March, 1854. 
England and France alHed their fleets and armies in the cause, 
^and from England to Malta, from Malta to Gallipoli, the 
English sent ships and soldiers to the relief of the Ottoman 
emphe. 

XVn. The first blow of the late war was struck in the 
Black Sea, March 22, 1854. Admirals Dundas and Hame- 
lin approached Odessa, a great commercial port of the Eux- 
ine, and upon the refusal of the governor to give up all ships 
lying in this harbor, a vigorous bombardment from both 
fleets ensued. After a time two powder magazines exploded, 
the fortifications were destroyed, thirteen ships laden vnth 
munitions of war were captured, and the allies drew off in 
triumph, with a loss of only five men. 

XVin. The armies now encamped at Varna and in the 
unhealthy valleys adjacent, where the cholera broke out and 
committed fearful ravages among the brave men. The 
EngHsh army alone lost between seven hmidred and eight 
hundi'ed. In- the mean time the Russian forces had laid 
siege to Silistria, a garrison manned by eight thousand 
Turks, and situated on the south bank of the Danube. For 
more than two months the soldiers of the Emperor Nicholas 
lay behmd their earthworks in front of this fortress, minmg, 
cannonading, and assaulting the defenders, and still were 
constantly repulsed. At length, on the 28th June, a last and 
grand assault was led up by Prince PaskieAvitch, Count Orloff, 
and General Gortschakoff. The Turks triumphantly repulsed 
them. Orloff was killed ; the other leaders seriously wound- 
ed ; the troops fled in confusion across the river, and tiie 



100 OUTLINES OF 

siege was raised. Mare than thirty thousand Russians per- 
ished in this enterprise. 

XIX. The alHes next determined on an invasion of the 
Crimea, a peninsula which was the very stronghold of the 
Russian power in the Black Sea, and defended by the strong- 
est and most richly stored arsenal in the world. On the 
7th September, 1854, the great fleet, nearly four hundred 
vessels, set sail from Varna, and on the 14th instant the army 
was landed about eight miles from Eupatoria. On the 20th 
the allies attacked the enemy, then drawn up in great 
strength among their batteries and entrenchments along the 
steep hanks of the little River Alma. The Russians num- 
bered fifty-four thousand men, the allies about fifty thousand. 
The French commenced the attack, and being followed up 
by the English, drove the Russians from their admu-able po- 
sition, pursued them down the hill, and after a contest of 
only three hours, achieved one of the noblest victories in the 
annals of Britain's wars. The alKes lost six hundred and 
nine men, and twenty-six hundred and ninety-nine were 
wounded. The Russian loss was stated to be seventeen 
hundred and sixty-two killed and twenty-seven hundred and 
twenty wounded ; but it is Kkely that their disasters were 
more serious still On the 23d the allies marched southwards, 
and on Monday the 25th arrived before the fishing port of 
Balaklava, which, after a faint show of resistance, smrendered 
unconditionally. The brave little garrison were sent as pris- 
oners to Constantinople, and the army took up its quarters 
in the deserted lanes and hovels of the town. 

XX. From this time the engineers and soldiers were 
actively employed in making intrenchments and earthworks 
before Sebastopoi. - Here they mounted guns, and every day 
crept nearer and nearer the forts of the enemy. Continual 
efforts to harass the working parties in the trenches, to sur- 
prise them in their* lines at night, to pom out suddenly by 
day, and to bombard them fiercely from their innumerable forts, 
were made by the Russians, and still the alHes kept building 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 101 

up their batteries, till they got near enough to fire upon 
them in their turn. On the 17th October the guns of the 
allied army opened on Sebastopol, and the siege began. 

XXI. The Russians, who had several times made their 
appearance as if to ofier battle, and as frequently retreated, 
at length came out in great force, (October 25, 1854,) and 
di-ove the Tm-ks, like sheep, from their batteries round the 
valley of Balaklava. The English were immediately apprised 
of this imminent danger ; the Highlanders repulsed the mount- 
ed Russians with astonishing coohiess and skill ; the English 
di-agoons met theirs at full gallop, and after a desperate hand- 
to-hand conflict, put them utterly to flight ; the English hght 
brigade, by a fatal mistake of the order given, was cut to 
pieces while performing incredible feats of valor, and amid glo- 
xy, and carnage, and defeat, — which could scarcely be called 
defeat when so bravely contested, — this battle of Balaklava 
ended. The Russians had gained the advantage. They had 
dismantled the forts, nearly destroyed their light cavalry, 
and gained the main road from Balaklava to Sebastopol. 
The allies had lost ten officers, and one hundred and forty- 
seven men. Still the name of Balaklava is as glorious as 
that of many victories. 

XXII. It was about this time that Miss Nightingale, the 
heroine of the war, set sail fr'om England, accompanied by 
a body of nurses, for the humane object of attending to the 
suffiering soldiers. Immense assistance of clothes, Tvine, and 
other necessaries was sent out by the Times' fiind, and a 
considerable improvement in the hospital, laundry, and med- 
ical departments followed. 

XXm. The morning of the 5th of November was gray 
and drizzly, when the Russians attacked the position of the 
besiegers near the bridge of the Tchemaya at Inkermann. 
Crossing the bridge unseen, they advanced in enormous 
bodies upon the advanced pickets, which were forced slowly 
to retreat. The firing aroused the other divisions of the 
army from sleep ; but before they could arrive, the Russians 
9* 



102 0trfiLENES ©F 

had once seized, once been expelled, and once more forced 
the works, pursuing the brave soldiers towards their camp. 
By this time the generals had reached the scene ; the Guards, 
the infantry regiments, and the sixty thousand Russians were 
soon fighting desperately in mnumerable groups, as if twenty 
battles were going on at once ; for long hours the fiightful 
contest lasted, and the English heroes Were gradually giving 
ground to the foe, when the French, who had been drawn 
off to the defence of Balaklava, came up at full speed. Eng- 
lish and French together charged upon the enemy, and at 
the point of the bayonet, drove them down the hill. The 
French batteries opened an irresistible fire on the retreat- 
ing magses, and the battle of Inkermann, after a strug- 
gle of twelve hours, was won. Eight thousand EngHsh and 
six thousand French had defeated fifty thousand Russians, 
with a loss of fom* hundred and sixty-two killed and nine- 
teen hundred and fifty-two wounded. 

XXIV. On the 2d March, 1855, died Nicholas, Emperor 
of all the Russias. This great event made no change, how- 
ever, in the afiairs of the war, which his son and successor 
pledged himself to continue. About this time an electric 
telegraph was estabHshed at the Crimea, as well as a railway 
for the conveyance of stores, &C.5 jfrom Balaklava to the 
camp. Reenforcements, too, were forwarded to the seat of 
war, and before May had arrived, the sickness had disap- 
peared, the men were well pro\ided with necessaries, and 
not less than one hundred and fifty thousand of the best 
soldiers in the world were again bombarding Sebastopol. 

XXV. On the 18th of June, after many varying sorties 
and assaults, the French and EngKsh generals determined on 
an attack of the MalakhofF and Redan towers — an enterprise 
which disastrously failed, and ended with a loss of more 
than five hundred killed and two thousand wounded. On 
the 28th inst., Lord Raglan, after some days of illness, died, 
universally regretted throughout the army, and was succeed- 
ed in his command by General Simpson. 



ENGLISia HISTORY. 10^ 

XXVL The English works approached nearer eveiy day 
to the walls of Sebastopol. Fifteen thousand well-disd- 
piified soldiers from the little kingdom of Sardinia arrived 
to the assistance of the allies, under the command of Gen- 
eral de la Marmora, and were encamped with the English 
cavahy in the valley of the Tchernaya. Here, on the 16th 
of August, they were attacked by the enemy in great force ; 
large bodies of men crossed the river, and, fancying they 
were to have an easy conquest, advanced up the hill to the 
French centre. Down came the French, Hterally hurling 
them back by the force of their charge. Hundreds of the 
enemy were crushed, rolled into the water, and put to flight ; 
and as they rushed confusedly back across the river, the 
Sardinian batteries mowed them down like grass. In this 
decisive battle the Russians left three thousand dead on the 
field, and four hundred were taken prisoners. 

XXVn. On Wednesday, September 5, the final bom- 
bardment of Sebasto])ol began. The first day's work was 
tremendous, and many fires were observed mthin the walls 
both on Thursday and Friday. Tov/ards the afternoon of 
the latter a Russian powder magazine blew up, which must 
have done the besiegers appalling service. Thus it went on, and 
a thousand a day were killed or disabled by the balls and 
shells of the besiegers. No garrison could long withstand so 
deadly an attack. On Satm-day, the 8th, the allied armies 
combined in a gigantic assault, which at the very commence- 
ment was signalized by the gallantry with which the French 
troops took the Malakhoff bastion, and planted the tricolor 
in view of Sebastopol. The English now attacked the Re- 
dan, but were repulsed ; and the Little Redan withstood the 
attack of the French. The French likewise attacked the cen- 
tral bastion, but were defeated and forced to retreat. General 
Pelissier was now established in the Malakhoff; and Prince 
Gortschakoff', aware that this success insured the capture of 
the town, resolved to leave it. That night, favored by the 
darkness, he withdrew his troops across the river in fine order, 



104 OUTLINES OF 

by means of a bridge of rafts ; the inhabitants of the town 
were removed in boats and steamers ; the retreat was guarded 
by General Schepeleff, who prevented the French from advanc- 
ing into the town ; and then, as the last of the Russians 
withdrew, the bridge was destroyed and the buildings of Sebas- 
topol set on fire, in order that nothing might be left to the 
conquerors save such ruin, and flame, and desolation as met 
Napoleon and his army in the streets of Moscow. One by 
one, forts, batteries, and sailing vessels in the harbor blew up 
with loud explosions, or sent forth vind flames. Next morn- 
ing the victors entered the town. CJburches and palaces, all 
blackened and ruined, stood around, and were %isited with 
eager curiosity. A few days later, and the alKed armies oc- 
cupied Sebastopol, after a siege of nearly twelve months, after 
four bombardments and three great battles, after a loss of 
nearly twentj'-seven hundred in the last attack, and a total 
loss on all sides, — EngHsh, French, and Russian, — both 
within and without the walls of Sebastopol, of something 
like one hundred thousand men. 

Thus ended the greatest siege of modern history. 

QUESTIONS TO CHAPTER X. 

I. For how long had George IV. At what determination 
IV. held the reins of power did the European powers arrive, 
before he ascended the throne ? and who were the allies ? When 
"What was the first act of his was the battle of Navarino 
reign ? By whom was the fought, and with what result ? 
queen's cause favored? On V. What were the penalties 
what occasion did she go to to which Roman Catholics were 
Westminster Abbey, and what subject at this time? When 
followed ? was the Roman Catholic eman- 

II. What disaster happened cipation act passed ? 

in Ireland in 1822 ? What VI. When did George IV. 

well-known character made die ? Who succeeded him ? 

himself conspicuous ? What VII. For what great meas- 

sum was granted for the relief ure is the year 1832 famous ? 

of the Irish ? What was the nature of the re- 

III. In what year did Greece form ? 

endeavor to throw off the Turk- VIII. In what year was sla- 

ish yoke ? What great poet very abolished ? What sum 

went to their assistance, and was paid to the slave owners, 

what was his fate ? What panic and how many men were set 

took place in the following year ? free ? 



ENGLISH HISTORY. 



105 



IX. When did William IV. 
die ? 

X. What was the age of 
Queen Victoria when she suc- 
ceeded to the throne, and in 
what condition was the British 
empire ? Why did the Duke 
of Cumberland become King of 
Hanover ? What was the state 
of Canada, and what measures 
were taken by Parliament to 
tranquillize that colony ? What 
cereroony took place in the year 
1838, and what great wars were 
entered upon r 

XI. What was Chartism, and 
what excesses did the Chartists 
commit ? In what year did the 
queen marry ? What was the 
result of the war in China ? 

XII. How did the Indian 
war progress in the mean time ? 
How did Lord EUenborough 
retrieve the national honor ? 
Relate the events in China. 

XIII. In what year did the 
Sikh war begin? How many 
battles were fought with these 
tribes, and with what success ? 
When was peace concluded ? 
When were the corn laws re- 
pealed ? 

XIV. For what event is 1851 
celebrated ? Repeat the statis- 
tics of the Crystal Palace. What 
became of the materials ? What 
great vehicle of communication 
was this year established between 
England and France ? 

XV. When did the Duke of 
Wellington die r When and 
where was he buried ? 

XVI. For how long had Eng- 
land now been at peace with Eu- 
rope ? What claims of the Empe- 
ror Nicholas provoked the late 
war ? What provinces did he 
seize ? What was the conduct of 
the sultan ? By what massacre 
were England and France 
roused to indignation ? When 
was war declared, and what fol- 
lowed ? 



XVII. When was the first 
blow struck? Describe the af- 
fair of Odessa. 

XVIII. Where did the ar- 
mies encamp ? How many died 
of cholera in the English army ? 
V^here is Silistria ? How long 
did the Russians besiege it ? 
How did the siege terminate, 
and what were the numbers on 
each side ? 

XIX. What place did the 
allies invade, and when did they 
arrive there ? When did the 
battle of the Alma take place ? 
What were the numbers on each 
side ? Relate the order of the 
battle. What were the losses 
of the allies and Russians ? To 
what place did the army next 
proceed ? 

XX. What preparations were 
now made before Sebastopol ? 
When did the siege begin ? 

XXI. When was the battle 
of Balaklava fought ? What 
was the result? What were 
the English losses ? 

XXII. What noble lady now 
left England, and by whom was 
she accompanied ? What as- 
sistance was sent out through 
the Times' subscription ? 

XXIII. On what day was 
the battle of Inkermann fought ? 
How did the Russians advance ? 
What was the appearance of 
the battle ? How were the 
English relieved ? What was the 
end of the contest ? How long 
had it lasted, and what were the 
numbers on each side ? 

XXIV. When did the Empe- 
ror Nicholas die ? What effect 
had his death upon the war ? 
What useful works were estab- 
lished at the Crimea ? What 
was the strength and state of 
the armies at this time ? 

XXV. Relate the events of 
the 18th of June. When did 
Lord Raglan die ? Who suc- 
ceeded him in the command ? 



106 



OUTLINES OF ENGLISH HISTORY. 



XXVI. How many men were 
sent from Sardinia ? When 
did the battle of the Tchernaya 
take place ? How did it end ? 
How many Russians were killed 

XXVII." When did the final 
bombardment begin ? How 
many were killed daily by the 
missiles of the allies in Sebasto- 
pol ? When was this great at- 
tack made ? What army took 
the MalakhofF? What success 
had the English ? What French 



general was established in the 
MalakhofF? What was the 
course pursued by the Russian 
commander ? By whom was 
the retreat guarded, and in 
what state did the Russians 
leave Sebastopol ? How long 
had the siege occupied? How 
many bombardments and battles 
had there been ? How many 
were lost in the last attack? 
How many had fallen all togeth- 
er, both within and without the 
walls, during this siege. 



THE END. 



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